


Cruelty & Kindness

by WildKitsune



Series: Every Witch Way [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Anal Sex, BDSM, Body Modification, But only really between Harry and Hermione, COMPLETE FILTH, Disturbingly Rough Sex, Dom Tom Riddle, Dom Voldemort (Harry Potter), Double Penetration, Drug Use, Dumbledore is a dick, Exhibitionism, Explicit Sexual Content, Extremely Dubious Consent, F/M, Fluff, Harrycrux, Hermione is maybe related Grindelwald, Just because she likes it doesn't mean she wants it, M/M, Manipulation, Master/Pet, Monster fucking (Voldemort), Multi, Multiple Toms, Non-Consensual Piercing, Non-Consensual Touching, Not a guide for healthy poly relationships, Orgasm Control, Possessive Behavior, Probably an orgy at some point, Questionable Potions, Selfcest, Sequel to Tomione Trope Bingo 2020, Smut, Sometimes Tom likes to paint her nails! Fight Me, Still not a soulmate fic, Sub Hermione Granger, Switch Harry Potter, Tags May Change, The End, Tom is still beautiful, Unforgivables are Foreplay, Voldemort has no Boundaries, Voyeurism, annoying anagrams, breath play, pet grooming kink, snake penis double blowjob, why does Trope Bingo have a sequel?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:22:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 44,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24947578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WildKitsune/pseuds/WildKitsune
Summary: Against her better judgement and all logic Hermione has become attracted to Tom Riddle and at least one of his Horcruxes.  After a series of isolating events she finds that Voldemort, his group of soul pieces come alive, and Harry Potter are the only ones in the world she can trust.  Hermione must find a way to carve a place out for herself as she deals with what it means to be the pureblooded granddaughter of Gellert Grindelwald.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Tom Riddle | Voldemort, Hermione Granger/Harry Potter, Hermione Granger/Harry Potter/Tom Riddle | Voldemort, Hermione Granger/Tom Riddle | Voldemort
Series: Every Witch Way [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1803310
Comments: 107
Kudos: 160
Collections: Autonomous Horcruxes





	1. Suspicious Suspicion

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Hermione sat back on the couch in the Head's common room with Harry on one side of her and Tom on the other. She watched her lap while a group of Hogwarts staff argued a few feet away. They had been returned to the school over an hour ago by a friendly Auror who just happened to be one of Voldemort's Horcruxes.

Horcruxes. It was a new word to Hermione, but now that she knew what the soul pieces were called, her brain itched to learn everything she could about them. For now, though, she was stuck trying to look as meek as possible as Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, and Diadem argued over her fate.

Of course, the Horcrux Auror hadn't mentioned anything about an Unforgivable being cast in the house. There was no reason for the way the Headmaster continued to glance over at Hermione with distrust. His eyes continually went to the place where Harry was holding her hand.

Absentmindedly Hermione rubbed the welt that had formed on her collarbone. She wondered if it had been Harry who was kidnapped off the school grounds would they all be in the hospital wing having their argument. Hermione pondered if she went and got her supply of Dittany from her dorm if it would be taken as a threat?

When Harry suddenly shot to his feet, everyone in the room tensed and went silent.

"Why isn't Hermione getting looked at by Madam Pomfrey? Why is everyone acting like she did something wrong?" He was furious on her behalf, and Hermione couldn't help but let his protectiveness warm her just a bit. She had one friend outside of Voldemort that still cared for her. Then she remembered what Diadem had said about the Horcrux inside him and went colder than before.

"Mr. Potter, why don't I take you back to your dorm. We will get this all sorted, and you can see Miss Granger in the morning." McGonagall said after giving Dumbledore a significant look.

"So I'm not in trouble? Even though it was Corvus and I, who left the school ground voluntarily and without permission?" Harry shot back.

"Mr. Potter." McGonagall's voice moved from sober to stern, but before she could continue, Harry pulled Hermione to her feet.

"Hermione was kidnapped!" He yelled at the woman for the first time in Hermione's memory. "She was tied up and taken away all so some old guy could try and force her into a marriage with Marcus Flint!"

As he was yelling, Tom moved up to her other side and rested his hand on the small of her back.

"Harry, Miss Granger, is a resilient woman, she will be fine for a little longer while we decide what is best for her and the future of this school," Dumbledore said in his calm, accessible way.

"I'm dropping out of school." Hermione finally spoke up.

"What?" She wasn't sure who had asked because the question seemed to come from every person in the room

"The Headmaster is right, I've become a liability here. I have a few wizards that I'm in contact with whom I can seek an apprenticeship, and then I can return only to take my NEWTs at the end of the year."

"Miss Granger, you cannot just leave school without consequences," Dumbledore said in a much more serious tone as his eyes moved to where her wand was stowed up her sleeve. She almost laughed as she knew he was suggesting that it had to be broken.

"I am OWLs accredited. NEWts are not required for living as an adult witch. Look at the Weasley twins. And I'm not even suggesting that I don't return for my final accreditation, as they did. There are quite a few cases over the centuries where witches and wizards get their entire education this way. It is the safest alternative for everyone, and as I am of age, so none of you have a say." 

"It seems your mind is made up." Dumbledore bowed his head.

"You can't let her do this, Albus!" McGonagall looked worried for Hermione. It relaxed her a bit to see the older witch still cared.

"As Miss Granger has aptly pointed out, she is of age, and I have no choice but to respect her wishes."

"Allow me to collect my things, and I will leave tonight." Hermione nodded before turning towards her dorm room. No one said a thing until she passed the threshold to her room. They started to argue again, and this time Harry's voice was mixed into the rest, but she paid no attention to what they might be saying.

"Where do you think you're going?" Tom asked as he leaned on the door jam.

"I have some money; I'll see if I can get a room at the Three Broomsticks tonight."

"Right, because I am sure everyone is just going to let you get a room at some pub."

Hermione sighed as she opened her trunk and started to pack her belongings into it.

"I'm not safe here."

"You realize that the old coot has a lot of sway. I'm not sure who you were going to ask to be your Master, but I'm pretty sure you aren't going to find a lot of people willing to take you in." Tom reminded her as he walked fully into her room and started to pull clothes out of her wardrobe.

Hermione licked her lips and chuckled. "We both know that  _ everyone _ would have quite an issue with that as well."

"Exactly," Tom said pleased that she understood what he was saying before he said it.

"So I'll ask Primary. He's one of the most powerful wizards in the world."

Tom slowed to a stop and stared at her for a long moment before speaking. "You must realize such a favor wouldn't be free, even if it is the most agreeable solution to this whole situation."

"Apprenticeships are never free. Usually, one pays for knowledge with labor." She said as she worked not to think of what Voldemort would require of her.

"You think you're ready for that?" Tom asked, but he was smiling widely at the very idea.

"We shouldn't be talking about this right now. Should you even be in here?" She asked as she glanced at the open door. It was oddly quiet, but as she looked, she could see the others were still talking. "Ah." She understood why he felt safe talking so openly.

"I've made it safe, and our boy is doing quite a good job of distracting them," Tom smirked as he directed his attention towards Harry.

She noticed that Harry continued to shift between the rest of them and the door and turned her back before she let herself smile. She redoubled her efforts to back as quickly as she could. She needed to leave sooner rather than later.

"I don't know if I'm ready. But I do know I need to go somewhere besides the compound when I leave here. I want it to be easy for the Headmaster to track me at first. I also need to appear to try and find another Master for my apprenticeship."

She could tell without looking that Tom was silently fuming because he knew she was right, but also he hated the idea.

She was just finishing folding the last of her robes when Harry burst into the room. "Where are you going to go?" He asked with Diadem right on his heels.

Hermione noted the other staff was heading out of the dorm. She was a little sad not to be able to say goodbye to any of her other friends when she remembered she hadn't talked to anyone that year.

"Tonight, I am going to see if I can get a room at the Three Broomsticks." She repeated herself as Diadem hissed.

"You were just taken from the school grounds, and you think you'll be safe at some public inn?" Harry, too seemed angry.

"I need to go someplace where the Headmaster can keep tabs on me for a little while." She told them evenly as she closed and locked her trunk.

"Let me send a message ahead to Ring. He'll stay with you tonight." Diadem said and left without giving her room to disagree.

Harry pursed his lips as he watched Diadem go and then shifted his attention to Tom himself.

"I can't believe I didn't tell Dumbledore who you are." He said as he shook his head.

"Exposing us would only do Hermione more harm than good," Tom said airily.

"If he hadn't been so suspicious of Hermione the moment we got back, I may have told him," Harry admitted. "But I just can't believe the way he's treated you. You're still hurt, and he's just letting you leave."

Hermione bit her lip as she looked over at her friend. "I wish we had more time to talk about this, Harry, but I need to get out of here. Be careful around Manacle and Tom?" She asked as Tom rolled his eyes. "I don't trust any of them completely, but I know they aren't trying to kill you."

"Hermione, about earlier…" He trailed off, looking a little pink.

"Come see me tomorrow." She leaned in to kiss his cheek. "We'll have more time."

Harry nodded and took her hands, squeezing them tightly as if he didn't want to let her go.

"Ring is expecting you, and I can walk you down to the village," Diadem said as he returned to the group.

"Tomorrow, as soon as I can get there," Harry promised, squeezing her hands one last time.

Hermione levitated her trunk and was about to leave when Tom stepped into her path.

"No goodbye for me?" He asked as he looked at her as if he wanted to bite her right there in front of her friend.

She put her hand on his chest. "I need some space for right now." She said as she worked to stay strong.

"I'm not good at giving you that."

"Well, then you can learn." She stayed firm, then moving around him.

She allowed Diadem to walk next to her as she headed out of the castle, but Hermione knew she wasn't ready to talk to him either. She needed to speak to Harry before she could sort out her feelings for the man.

He didn't say a word until they were well off the school grounds. "Hermione-"

"How long have you two been fucking?" She asked, breaking her decision not to talk to him.

"I couldn't trust you with my mission Hermione, and you have enough to worry about."

"So, he's just a mission to you?" She growled as she hated the idea of someone using her sweet friend that way.

"There is no good way to have this conversation."

"He's a Horcrux?" She changed tactics.

"Yes, and I am sure you wish to know exactly what that means."

"Yes." She agreed.

"That is a very long conversation, but I could get you some books if you wish." He offered, and she scowled at him.

"Are you trying to buy my forgiveness with books?" The men around her knew her far too well.

Diadem sighed as he slowed his steps when they neared the inn. "This was not what we wanted for you. I am going to make up for my part of what happened to you tonight." He said as he stopped in the middle of the road.

She looked over her shoulder at him and turned just to examine the regret in his expression.

"Ring will take care of you tonight; he will keep you safe." He added and motioned towards the door with his neck.

"I'm not ready to talk to you. I need to talk to Harry before anything, and even after that, you are going to have some very good answers if you ever…" She trailed off and shook her head.

"I'm never going to apologize for what I have with Harry, but I wish there could have been a way of being more honest with you. I value you both."


	2. Crowded Minds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

_ I value you both _ .

The words echoed in her head as Ring led her up to a vacant room. It was odd to feel as if she knew him. He looked so much like her Tom, had the same mannerisms, and smile. Only this Tom had lived a life separate from the one she knew.

Hermione levitated her trunk into the room first, but as she moved passed him to fallow, Ring took her wrist in his hand. She bit her lip as long fingers wrapped around one of the welts she had yet to heal.

When she looked up into his eyes, he was studying her carefully. "I have some medicine if you want it." He offered before letting go of her. She ducked her head and continued into the room.

It was a simple space with wooden furniture and a small fireplace.

"It isn't my morals that are bothering me tonight." She said finally before she heard the door close and lock. Hermione glanced over her shoulder to find Ring leaning back against it.

"Diadem mentioned that you found out about him and Harry tonight. It upset you?" He asked, standing back and just watching her.

Hermione sighed before going to her trunk. She needed to treat the welts before she was any more tired. She glanced at the clock to find that it was only a little past ten, so much had happened in such a short time.

"Did you eat tonight?" Ring asked even though she didn't answer his last question. "There is still some of Madam Rosmerta's stew warming on the stove. I could get you a bowl."

"Actually, that would be lovely and something strong to drink." She asked without looking up from her trunk. Even in the short time she was meticulous about packing. It wasn't hard to find her Essence of Dittany.

"Don't leave this room while I am gone." He threatened, and Hermione almost smiled at the familiar tone.

Once he was gone and she found the oil, Hermione started to strip out of her dirty robes. They were a bit scuffed with grass and mud. She found a place one would need a repair before she realized they were school robes. Tears she had yet to let fall crowded her vision. She would never go to school again. She would never need the uniforms again.

"A bath would help with the application of the essence." Ring was much closer to her than she had expected, and it made her jump as it reminded her of the attack. She looked down at the red cross pattern over her wrists, legs, and chest. The rope had left behind quite an impression.

She allowed him to help her up as she worked to stave off her breakdown for a little longer

"I can wash myself," She said as he took the liberty in unhooking her bra.

"Eat first; I'll draw you a bath."

Hermione sighed and let the bra fall into the pile with the rest of her clothes before moving to sit at the small table where he had set her food. There was a steaming bowl of lamb stew, a portion of hot crusty bread, and a heavy tumbler of a golden brown liquid.

The weirdest thing about eating the food mostly naked in front of a man she had never technically been introduced to was that it didn't feel weird.

"You knew about Harry?" She asked to keep herself from getting too comfortable.

"I knew." Ring agreed.

"What is the plan now that you have all confirmed he is like you?" She asked as Ring turned back towards her. He gave her a perfect Tom smirk.

"He isn't like us. The rest of us are tied to magical objects. Harry is a living Horcrux in his own right. He's special."

"So, he isn't just another Tom clone that has somehow forgotten who he is?" She asked something she hadn't known she was worried about.

Ring hummed thoughtfully.

"I am sure that the piece of our soul that resides within him influences some of his personality. It probably drawls him towards the darkness within his soul. But Harry  _ has _ his own soul. The rest of us are just pieces of Voldemort."

"Do you plan to…" She trailed off as she considered the right words. "Do you plan to free the soul piece inside of Harry, make him like you?"

"It was discussed." Ring confirmed before shaking his head. "It was decided that whatever value that piece would add to our community wasn't worth the loss of Harry himself. We're not sure that the process that brought each of us to life would harm Harry exactly, but there was enough of a possibility that it didn't seem worth the risk."

"I'm supposed to believe any of you care about Harry?"

"It would depend on how you define care. Do any of us care about you, little dove?" He asked as he sat on the edge of the clawfoot tub tucked into the far corner of the room.

Her fingers strayed to the necklace, still resting against her chest. "I should have thrown this in the mud." She murmured and reached for her drink

"That would have been unfortunate. How do you think Diadem tracked you to the Flint house so quickly?"

Hermione sighed; she wasn't even surprised, and how could she be mad if it had helped to save her from that place? Whatever Ring had served her burned on the way down and put a pleasant warmth in her bully. She had never drunk anything but a half glass of wine with dinner, but she couldn't help but savor the feeling.

"Are you planning to get me drunk?" She asked as her eyes fell closed for a moment.

"You are the one who asked for something strong." Ring pointed out as he moved to sit at the small table with her.

"I just want today to be over." She sighed, eating a few more bites of stew.

"I don't blame you. A lot has happened today. Eat. We will clean you up and apply some of the Dittany you have. Then you can sleep." Tom laid out the rest of her night for her. "You deserve a rest, Hermione."

"How are you all…" She licked her lips as she set her spoon down. "...different, but also completely the same?"

"For those who have lived inside an object for decades, I think it has given us each something a little different. We are also a part reflection of our object. For example, we are all wickedly brilliant because Tom is brilliant."

"Unfortunately," Hermione grumbled.

"But if I had to pick, I would say Diadem is just a  _ little _ smarter than the rest of us."

"Because of the magic in the Diadem?"

"Probably."

"Not fair." Hermione yawned. "You're all too smart already." She said, and Ring just reached out and brushed a finger over the back of her hand.

"You all look at me like you want to devour me." She said without pulling her hand away from his touch. It felt nice even if she was confused about what she was feeling.

"Only when you give us hints of your intellect or deviousness."

Hermione swallowed and looked down at her mostly empty bowl. She reached and took a more significant pull from the tumbler, so she didn't have to respond to his comment. She closed her eyes as Hermione groaned at the liquid heat filling her limbs.

"Where do you live?" She asked as she set down the glass and pushed herself to her feet.

"My main residence is on the Riddle Compound, but I have a small apartment here in town when I need to be close by."

Hermione nodded drowsily. "You'll go there tonight?" She asked because Diadem had said Ring would stay close.

"No, little dove." He sighed as if he thought she was being difficult. "Do you think we plan to leave you unguarded?" He asked as he stood as well.

"Well, go find something to do while I bathe." She pursed her lips and made her way over to the bath he had filled for her.

"I can think of quite a few things I could do while you bathe." Ring said as he moved up behind her.

When his hands settled on her hips just above the elastic if her knickers Hermione swallowed. It would be nice to fall into the arms of someone who seemed to know exactly what to say and do to make her feel safe. But Ring was just as dangerous as the rest of them. She shifted away from his touch to go back to her trunk. She picked out a fresh pair of underwear, flannel pants, and a tank top to change into after she was clean.

She turned back towards the tub to find Ring eyeing the clothes as if they had personally offended him.

"You never wore anything like that back when-"

"When I was stuck in the 1940s? No, I wore the clothes the school provided because it wasn't proper for girls to wear pants." Hermione rolled her eyes. "This is the type of pajamas I like; it's cold out." She reminded him. "I would also like some privacy for my bath." She said firmly, to convince not only him, but also herself.

Ring sighed again as he looked her over. All her Toms seemed to struggle with giving her space, but that night she needed to stay strong.

"Fine." He said through gritted teeth. "I'll give you half an hour; I'll be downstairs if you need me."

"Thank you." She breathed, knowing it was hard for him to leave her side.

She let out another breath after he left the room. Her whole body itched to call him back, and she frowned down as she noticed her hands were shaking.

_ Times up, purtty lil thing. _

Hermione jerked as the voice came from nowhere. It was in her head, and her heart was racing. It was stupid; nothing horrible had happened to her that night. Tom himself had done worse than anything she had suffered at Scabior's or Mr. Flint's hands. She needed to calm down and get a hold of herself.

With a few more deep breaths, Hermione turned towards the bath once more. She looked over her shoulder at the rest of the drink, still sitting on the small table. It seemed Ring had cleared the rest of her dishes while Hermione wasn't paying attention. She walked over to the glass and took another drink to try and calm her racing heart.

"I just need some time." She murmured as she carried the glass with her to the bath. She held it close to her chest as she climbed into the almost scalding water, gooseflesh formed on her arms as she slowly lowered herself into the cauldron-hot tub.

Hermione finished off her drink and set it aside before cleaning all the dirt, sweat, and tears from her night away. She washed her hair first, summoning oils from her trunk to rub into the unmanageable mane. Once it was clean but still wet, she carefully separated it and plaited it into two tight tails running down the sides of her head.

When the door opened, Hermione was finishing up scrubbing every inch of her skin. She was red with how hard she abused her already damaged dermis.

Ring pursed his lips as he looked over at her before closing the door behind him once more.

"If you want me to trust you to be alone, you're going to have to be a bit more thoughtful with herself." He tsked.

His entrance had initially spooked her, but she felt relief and warmth the moment she realized who had entered. She frowned, hating the fact that Ring made her feel safe.

"I needed to get clean." She snapped and stood to climb back out of the bath. When she reached for a towel to dry herself, she felt a wave of warm air blow past her and found that she was already dry. She glared back at Ring, who simply smirked at her.

"You are a witch, do you need a reminder?" He asked and shook the bottle of Dittany at her. "Sit on the bed, and we can take care of those." He sneered at the welts that crossed her body.

"The other Toms seem to like me all marked up." She said as she sat at the end of the bed.

"With marks, we've given you." Ring pointed out as he started to apply to essence to her back deftly. "I would thoroughly enjoy seeing you crossed with my marks. It would be quite enjoyable to thoroughly constrict your body in my art and then let you writhe as  _ my _ ropes brought you both pleasure and discomfort."

"You all seem to like to mix up my head with what pleasure and pain mean." She said, thinking of the nights when Diadem enjoyed edging her to the point it became painful.

"It is one of the many things we have in common. We are all sadists at our core. Fortunately, you are a masochist." Before she could argue, he pressed a little too hard against one of her welts, and it made her shiver.

"I didn't enjoy getting these." She said instead.

"Of course not. Just because someone likes pain doesn't mean they will enjoy or trust all the pain they receive." He said as if it was obvious. "No matter how much you fight it, little dove, you trust us to take care of you."

"I can put the rest on myself." She said as she finished up her back. She didn't know what to say to such a statement because she couldn't precisely refute it.

"You may be capable." Ring agreed as she shifted her so she would lay on the back. He set about the work of tending to her collarbone first.

"But you're not going to let me."

"Smart." He answered and looked down into her eyes for a moment before going back to the application.

She couldn't help but notice her nipples were hard in the cool air as he worked around them. His proximity and careful tending of her contusions were making her body react in unwanted ways. She fidgeted and worked to keep still while he continued seeming not to notice.

As her body relaxed and came alive, she also had a growing need for sleep. She wondered if she would have sex dreams about Ring if she drifted off.

"Sleep, little dove." Ring ordered softly. "You've earned it."


	3. Sexualize

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Hermione awoke to the smell of bacon and butter. The light seemed wrong as her eyes drifted open and had to wonder how late she had slept. She let out a soft groan and arched her back as she yawned, but when she moved to sit up, she found that her wrists were secured to the headboard.

"Ring?" She hissed and found him sitting at the small dining table. He smirked at her over the rim of a steaming mug.

"Morning, little dove." He purred as his eyes drifted over her body.

She had fallen asleep while he applied the Dittany and so was still utterly naked to his gaze. He even had the covers pulled back to give himself a perfect view.

"Do you think I want to play a game where I'm tied up after everything that happened last night?" She hissed as she pulled against the wool-lined cuffs.

"I don't think you mind, and you look so lovely all helpless before me." Ring uncovered a plate on the table to show a croissant with scrambled eggs and bacon. "Would you like some breakfast?"

"Yes, untie me so I can eat." She said while Ring carried the plate over to her.

"I think we can figure something else out." Ring said as he sat down next to her on the bed. He tore a piece of perfect butter pastry off the croissant and brushed it against Hermione's lips. She locked her mouth closed and glared at him. "You know if you don't eat, you'll still be like this when Harry arrives. How do you think he would take seeing this side of you?" Ring asked with a devilish smirk.

Hermione didn't answer for fear of allowing the delicious smelling bite into her mouth. She narrowed her eyes up at her captor. Ring for his part did not seem bothered by the expression. He trailed the bit of pastry down her neck and used it to circle her nipple.

"I think he'd like it." He continued as if they were having a normal conversation. "He's never going to get the chance to explore his more dominant side with any of us, but you are quite the perfect little submissive, dove."

"I am not having sex wi-" She was cut off as he shoved the croissant into her mouth and gave her a wicked grin.

She growled as she chewed, and when she opened her mouth again to tell him off, he filled it with a bite of eggs.

"Hermione, let me take care of you." He coaxed as his free hand traveled down her stomach. "Shall we see what you think of waking tied up and at my mercy?" He asked as his finger trailed over her pelvic bone.

Once she swallowed the egg, she turned her head away so he couldn't give her another bite. "You don't have mercy." She said as his fingers pushed between her thighs.

"And you thoroughly enjoy that fact." He reminded her as his fingers dipped against her womanhood. She let her thighs part to give him more space as they both knew he would find her wet.

"I'm not hungry." She said as he sank his middle finger into her.

"No?" He purred as his thumb moved over her quim's peak, looking for a particular bundle of nerves.

"Ring, please, I'm just not comfortable with you feeding me like this." She gasped as she let her eyes close.

"Ah, but you don't seem to mind other activities."

"Honestly? I need this more than food." She whimpered as she parted her legs a bit further.

Ring pulled his hand away from her, which made her want to cry. "How will you earn your pleasure Hermione, if you don't do what I tell you?" Ring asked before pushing his finger covered with her essence into her mouth.

She sucked the finger as she looked up at him. Of course, being with a Tom meant she wasn't going to control much of anything. She thought her options over before he pulled the finger free.

"So, if I let you feed me breakfast, then you will fuck me until I come?" She asked because she needed relief, not more teasing.

"If you're a good girl and eat every bite, I will thoroughly ravage you until you reach climax, and then I will continue to ravage you until I join you. Do we have a deal?" He asked, smirking at her. She couldn't place what he thought he was getting over on her, but she was somehow sure she was missing something.

"Yes." She said because she needed some satisfaction.

"Good girl." Ring glowed with pleasure as he offered her a bite of bacon. As he fed her, he idly played with her body. She was trembling with need by the time he set aside her plate. "Such a good girl." He repeated as he moved so that he was kneeling between her parted legs.

He was dressed in dark metallic blue slacks, a navy shirt, and a double-breasted robe in the same metallic fabric as his pants. Hermione frowned up at him as she was pretty sure he still wore his boots.

"How are you going to fuck me like that?" She asked, shivering slightly as she felt all the more naked with him so thoroughly dressed.

"Ravage." Ring corrected as he leaned down and slipped her legs over his shoulders.

Hermione sucked in a breath as she felt his lips on some of her most personal bits and sucked her bottom lip hard as his tongue soon followed.

"Oh." She whimpered, not caring about semantics as he quickly built her towards the orgasm she sorely needed. "Right, this is good." She agreed, nodding her head rapidly and arching herself as best she could to give him the best access to her core.

His fingers rug into her thighs with bruising force, but she couldn't bring herself to care as she crested her peak in record time. She felt like flying as he continued to play with her quivering body.

She hardly noticed when he shifted and moved her legs off his shoulders. She watched him with blissful joy as he undid his pants and pulled them down just enough to free an already hard and throbbing cock.

"My turn." He told her as he shifted forward and filled her in one fluid stroke.

She whimpered, pressing herself back against him even if she was a bit overwhelmed with sensation.

"Your turn." She agreed, wishing her hands were free to give him more for what he had just granted to her.

"You like to be filled with me, don't you, little dove?" Ring asked as he took his time pulling out to thrust back into her. His rhythm was lazy and unhurried.

She purred as she was forced to feel every inch of him with each stroke, and she remembered the way each of her Toms had taken and given her pleasure.

"Yes. All of them." She purred, feeling bold.

"There are a few you haven't tried yet." He pointed out playfully.

"Should I? Are you all so comfortable with sharing me?" She asked, genuinely curious about how Tom handled the life he had set up for himself.

"It isn't sharing. You belong to Voldemort. We are Voldemort." He said with such conviction she couldn't imagine what it felt like to be any of them. "I want you to feel each and every one of my cocks, Hermione."

"All of them?" She asked, as his slow pace started to grow frustrating. Why wasn't he taking what he needed?

He sunk himself inside of her to the hilt then leaned over her body to whisper directly into her ear. "Every. Single. One." He said before he nipped at her lobe.

The door to the room opened just as she gasped and clenched around him. She looked over to find her best friend staring wide-eyed at the debauched scene in which she starred. It wasn't until she looked into Harry's eyes that she understood Ring's words and their connection to the fact that the Toms thought of Harry as one of them. They wanted her to have sex with her best friend?

After a moment of gawking, Harry sprang into action and pointed a wand directly at Ring. "Get off of her!" He roared.

"Did you want a better view?" Ring teased as he shifted back so that she was all the more on display to the only friend she had left in the world.

"Get off of her." He warned through clenched teeth. "You said she would be safe with  _ him _ ." Harry snapped, and only then did Hermione realize Diadem had entered the room as well. He had had the foresight to close the door behind their invasion.

"He's not hurting her, Harry." Diadem explained as he caught Hermione's eye with his own smirk. The two had planned this for some reason, and as always, she was caught up in the middle.

"He's taking advantage!"

"I'm living up to my side of a bargain," Ring filled in and turned back to look down at Hermione. "A reward for finishing her breakfast." He added as his hands shifted her hips, and he started to move once more.

She growled and closed her eyes tightly as she tried to get enough control of her thoughts and voice to speak. Ring had taken his time so that they would still be fucking when the others arrived.

"You both are huge arses!" She finally moaned as she clenched her hands into fists. Why was she so messed up that the appearance of Harry has done nothing to ruin her mood. If she was honest, she thought she might be more turned on because of the audience.

"She wants you to stop." Harry stepped forward, seeming ready to rip Ring off of her.

"Only if you want to finish the job," Ring looked over at her friend.

"Oh, Merlin, please don't." Hermione whimpered as she turned away, not wishing to see the look on Harry's face as she neared her second orgasm.

"Tell him the truth Hermione, tell him how much you want all of us. He needs to understand how much you like everything we do to you."

"We need to break the two of you of this delusion that you are siblings," Diadem added as he too moved closer to them.

Hermione whimpered and shook her head as she fought back the climax as Diadem had started to teach her. She couldn't show this side of herself to her best friend, but it was hard to argue as all of her focus went into not coming.

"Isn't she beautiful, Harry?" Diadem asked softly, and she could just imagine how he stood just over her friend's shoulder and spoke intimately into his ear. "Order her to climax." He encouraged him. "Bend her pleasure to your will."

"I couldn't…" Harry trailed off as he was just as confused as she felt. "She wouldn't." He added, sounding only more unsure.

"Try it and see." She heard Diadem whisper. "Say 'Come for me, little dove.'"

Hermione's heart was racing as Ring continued to pound into her. It took all her will to hold herself back, and the idea of her friend controlling her climax wasn't doing anything for her resolve.

"Come for me, little dove," Harry said in a husky voice and the last bit of control she had dissolved.

"Harry!" She screamed as she came around Ring's shaft. He hissed as he came with her and continued to thrust as he used her body to milk every bit of his pleasure. She shivered and keened under him, keeping her eyes closed and her lips locked so she wouldn't say anything else embarrassing.

There was a long silence once their bodies started to come down from the high.

"Did you like that, my pretty boy?" Diadem asked, and the name sent a new kind of shiver through Hermione. She felt like she had somehow helped to trap her friend, and she wanted to cry.

"Hermione?" Ring asked as he gently pet the side of her face and forced her to look at him. "We have no secrets from Harry." He said in a severe tone that lightened a weight in her chest.

She suddenly burst into full tears as she realized that she was free to talk to Harry about everything that had been happening with her. If he still wanted her, she could have her friend back in full, and it felt like such a gift and a relief she could do nothing but cry.


	4. No Turning Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

She was sure she made quite the picture as she shook with emotion and tears. She had little awareness outside of herself for a while. By the time her feelings settled into something manageable, she found that someone had unbound her wrists, and she was curled into a ball under the covers. She looked up and saw only Harry sitting at the small dining table as he carefully watched his hands.

"I-I'm sorry." She hiccuped then quickly looked away from him. She wouldn't be able to continue to calm down if she saw the disgust she knew would be in his eyes.

"Sorry?" He asked, sounding confused. "Hermione, I'm sorry." He sounded pained. "I can't believe I didn't stop them. I shouldn't have…" She could hear him swallow as they both thought back to the moment he followed Diadem's direction. "I got so used to thinking of him a certain way; it's hard to remember he's a part of Voldemort sometimes."

Hermione didn't know how to respond, and she still wasn't ready to face him even as she started to wipe the tears from her face.

"We should go to Dumbledore and tell him everything," Harry said with determination. "He will be able to protect yo-"

"Harry, I can't." She said, sitting up with a jerk as panic crawled up her throat. "I've taken an Unbreakable vow that doesn't allow me to reveal any of his secrets."

"Why would you do that?!" He yelled as he shot to his feet. "Hermione, how could you be so stupid?! How can I protect you? Fine. I'll tell him everything I know. It should be-"

"And I don't trust Dumbledore." She added, cutting off his rant. "I don't know what Horcruxes are exactly, but how could he start teaching you about them and not tell you that you might be one?"

"Maybe he doesn't know."

"You saw how he was with me last night, Harry, he's been having me followed all around the school for over a month. And I'm quite sure he is the one that told the press about my heritage."

"Why would he do that? Hermione, you're only in danger because of me, let me help get you out. We need to find you a way back into the school."

"Oh, Harry." She shook her head and buried her face in her hands. He wasn't listening; she needed to tell him everything. "No, Harry. This isn't on you. This is completely my doing."

"How could you possibly-"

"I accidentally traveled back to when Tom Riddle was in his seventh year, and because of that, I've made all this happen. It is  _ me _ who has endangered  _ you _ . I should have told you who Diadem and Tom were the moment I got back. But I didn't..." She sniffled as she felt so very selfish.

"It would have broken your vow."

"I should have died to protect you." She shook her head.

"Don't you dare!" Harry was on her a moment later; he had her pressed down against the mattress as he held her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "You don't get to sacrifice yourself for me too. Do you hear me, Hermione?" He shook her as she could see the pain and anger apparent in his eyes.

She nodded, and her bottom lip started to tremble as she worked to hold back a whole new wave of tears. She hated how emotional she was being, but everything was happening far too fast for her to cope. She had lost most everything in her life only a day ago, and now she would lose Harry also.

Harry seemed only to realize then how he was manhandling her and stepped back so fast it was like he had been shocked.

"I'm sorry. But I've lost so much, and I can't lose you." He said as he looked down at his hands.

She bit her lip hard and took a few long breaths in through her nose before she could speak once more.

"Corvus is the real Tom Riddle from fifty years ago. I spent nearly a year back in the past, and he was the only one I could share the truth with. If it hadn't been for his help, I would have never made it back. His price was my vow, and I didn't see another way."

"You did what you had to to make it back to me." He said as he sounded calmer.

Hermione nodded and looked anywhere, but Harry's face. "He formed this attachment to me while we worked together, and these Horcruxes seem to have the same feeling."

Harry sat on the bed and sighed tiredly. "I know personally how impossible it is to redirect Voldemort's obsession. And I'm sure that stunt this morning didn't help anything." He blushed and ran his hands through already messy hair. "I don't know what to do, Hermione."

"You don't need to save me, Harry." She said as she took another breath and grasped his hand. "I've sort of accepted that this is my life now. They are quite good to me in their way."

He looked up at her with a frown on his face as he searched her expression for something.

"I wish I would have told you about the Professor." He said, still blushing. "But I knew it was wrong to be with him, and I didn't want you to make me tell someone. Now I find out he's a part of Voldemort, but so am I, and they all want to own me instead of killing me, and I have no idea how to feel about it."

She took in a deep breath and gave Harry a little smile. "I don't think anyone else in the world could understand that confusion more than me." She said, squeezing his hand.

"And they want us too…" Harry swallowed as he looked into her eyes. She could see shame and desire there where she had never noticed it before.

"Harry?" She asked, feeling nervous. "Did you like watching him do that to me?" She spoke timidly.

"You're like my si-"

"I liked it." Hermione interrupted because she knew she would have to make the first move if she was ever going to make Harry feel better about what had happened. "And I came when you ordered because that..." She took another breath. It was hard to say what she was feeling; it was an advantage that the Toms always seemed to be able to read her desire easily.

"You like being controlled?" Harry asked timidly. When she finally forced herself to look at him again, she nodded her agreement. "Am I dreaming?" He asked as if he genuinely wanted to know.

"You don't ha-"

"Hermione." It was his turn to interrupt her. "I've…" He trailed off and fidgeted where he sat. "I've had some quite twisted fantasies about you over the last few years." He whispered, then forced himself to swallow.

"Me?" She asked he had never shown her anything but brotherly love before today.

"They honestly scare me a little bit, and you and Ron have been orbiting each other for years, and I didn't want to get in the way of that." He breathed, "I didn't want to take something from him, but then you decided to break up with him all on your own, and like a bastard, I was so relieved even though I was already messing around with Professor Manacle."

"Harry-"

"For example, I should have left the moment I knew you were okay. At the very least, to give you five minutes to put on some clothes, but I like that I'm forcing you to have this conversation at a disadvantage." He admitted softly.

Hermione hadn't even considered the fact that she was still naked under the blanket. Of course, she hadn't moved from her spot on the bed because she didn't want to rub her state in his face, but it seemed he was keenly aware without prompting.

"You like that I'm naked because it gives you an advantage?" She asked as she tried to understand his thinking.

"I've been fighting the urge to take the blanket away." He mumbled, and she blushed. He took a deep breath and looked back at her again. "Take it off, and I'll tell you more." He said before he covered his mouth.

A little shiver shot between Hermione's legs, and she had to swallow. The way he was looking at her ignited a new world of possibility. Slowly, without looking away from his eyes, Hermione pulled the blanket to the side, sitting completely bare for his pleasure.

Harry's eyes traveled over her revealed skin as he enjoyed what he saw, but at the same time, his expression was nothing like how any of the Toms looked at her.

"It's the idea of having the smartest, most powerful, and beautiful woman I've ever known under my control. I like the idea of you debasing yourself for my pleasure as much as I like to serve at Man-"

"Diadem. You should start thinking of him as Diadem." She interrupted as she fought to keep from shaking. She knew she would enjoy anything Harry wanted to do to her, but they needed to keep their conversation on task.

"As much as I like to serve at Diadem's will. Knowing who he is doesn't make me want him less." He said, sounding disgusted with himself. "He's killed so many people, some of which I've loved and yet…"

"He fills that empty part inside you that you didn't think would ever be touched?"

Harry sighed and pulled his gaze away from her body as he ran his fingers in his hair once more. "What do we do now?"

"We have a few options as the only ones in the world that know the truth about Voldemort and his Horcruxes."

"Oh?" Harry couldn't help but laugh as Hermione started to answer his rhetorical question.

"Yes. We can work together to destroy them all and utterly end Voldemort. I assume Dumbledore is teaching you how to kill these soul pieces."

"Right now, he is still trying to find any of them. I don't think they are supposed to be people." Harry said softly. "We were working to track down objects."

Hermione nodded slowly. "I know they are each connected to a magical object." She said because that made sense. "But if we did that, it would mean giving them up," Hermione added more softly.

"It would, but what other option do we have? I'm destined to kill Voldemort." He said, and Hermione gave him a look to tell him what she thought of destiny.

"We can keep him the same way he wants to keep us." She worried her bottom lip; she had been thinking the idea over for a while.

"Are you suggesting we just enjoy the soothing balm and ignore the fact that he murders people?" Harry sounded shocked.

"Well, no. I'm suggesting we learn more about what Voldemort has been up to since his return. He has his people everywhere. I would be surprised if they weren't…" She trailed off as her fingers moved to the crystal dove, and she let out a sigh. "If they weren't listening to us right now."

She found her wand on the bedside table and cast a quick Imperturbable Charm on the necklace while hoping that would be enough. Harry watched her curiously.

"My point is that he has his spies and himself everywhere. The Auror that brought us home last night was one of the Horcruxes. Cup, I think. With so much power at his fingertips, why hasn't he made more of a public move? There hasn't even been any reported disappearances or strange deaths. What is he up to?"

"Dumbledore says-"

"Dumbledore is not a good source of information Harry. He has his own agenda, and I feel there are some things he's been lying to you and the rest of the world about for decades. He doesn't have our best interests in mind."

Harry sighed and rubbed his face as he considered her words. "What if we find out Voldemort is planning mass execution of all the muggle-borns in the world?"

"Then, we change his mind or take him down." She stated firmly. "But we won't be any better positioned for either of those plans than as his…" She swallowed and flushed because she knew this part of her plan was more than a little self-serving.

"As his playthings?"

"I was going to say lovers, but yours is more accurate, I think."

"And what about this?" Harry asked as his eyes trailed to her body once more.

"What about it?" She asked, feeling shy. She didn't know if she could be the one to make any more moves just then.

"I love you, Hermione. I have for a long time, and I decided years ago that was more important than any lust I felt for you." He nodded to himself as he spoke. "But if we are being honest about our desires, what I would really like right now is to see what kind of sounds you make when someone fucks you into the rug in front of the fire. I want you to show me your lady bits." He ordered, and she could see how he struggled to keep his voice from wavering.

She couldn't help but smile at his word choice but rewarded his inner battle by parting her thighs as wide as possible.

"Why the rug when we have a comfortable bed right here?" She asked. She was surprised by how excited she was to play this game with her best friend.

Harry tilted his head and looked back to her eyes oddly. "Do you deserve a comfortable bed?" He deadpanned, and it sent a wild shiver of need right to her core. Harry smiled as he must have noticed her reaction to his words. "I don't think you do."

She was having a hard time finding a proper response, but before she could come up with anything, the door sprang open, and Diadem entered, looking ready to do battle.

Hermione blushed and snapped her knees shut the moment his eyes settled on her.

"Well, it seems like I've come just in time for something fun."

"No," Harry said firmly as he stood and put himself between her and Diadem.

"Are you telling me no, my pretty boy?" Diadem purred, and Hermione could only imagine the look he was giving her friend.

"If Hermione and I decide to do anything, it will not involve you lot until we are both comfortable with that idea. Why are you here?"

There was a weighted pause, and Hermione wondered if Diadem planned to lie to Harry. "Because he couldn't hear us through the necklace after I silenced it." She answered for him.

"Right." Harry nodded. "We are going to give Hermione some time to get ready for the day." He said and then looked over his shoulder at her. "Meet me for tea downstairs in an hour?" He asked as if they hadn't been just about to do something quite naughty.

"That sounds lovely." She agreed.

"Good." Harry turned back to Diadem and waited for the other man to exit before doing the same.


	5. Beasty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
> 
> A/N- I want to remind everyone to mind the tags. I have been adding new ones as I post each chapter and as we give in to the total debauchery that is the Hurcruxs sexual tastes this story only gets filthier

Hermione felt better after having time to recover from the emotional morning. Tea with Harry was familiar and safe, revealing nothing of the severe and eye-opening conversation they had had in private.

After the lovely meal, they decided it was best for Harry to get back to the castle. She wanted to walk him up to the gates, but Harry didn't like the idea of her having to walk back alone, so she showed him to the Inn's door and kissed him in the cheek before letting him go.

She ignored the stares she got from the other patrons as she headed back up to her room. She had letters to write. She needed to get the next phase in her life underway. By supper time, she had a stack of missives to take to the post office. She wrote every wizard and witch she could think of that might be willing to sponsor her Apprenticeship. It would be lovely if she could find someone besides Voldemort to host her, even if it would annoy the Toms. It might be a bonus.

She was just finishing her evening meal when there was a polite knock on her door. "Miss Granger? It is Auror Puffuch, we spoke last night, and I have a few follow up questions about the man who snatched you."

Hermione covered her mouth to keep the giggle from escaping. Hufflepuff's Cup didn't seem to give a lot of room for names when there were so many Fs and so few vows. She hadn't said two words to Cup the night before, and now he was asking to be alone with her in such a way she really couldn't deny him. What would it look like if she didn't allow the Auror on her case to ask her questions?

With a steadying breath, Hermione went to the door and opened it, but did not move to allow him into the room. She put on a public smile just in case anyone passed while she was talking to the man.

"What sort of questions?" She asked innocently as if she didn't know Cup was really there to check on her.

"May I come in, they are things of a delicate nature." He said as he stared her down with the usual Tom intensity. Hermione bit her lower lip as she considered saying no, but she didn't want to bring any undue attention to the interaction. The reason they had probably chosen Cup was the fact that it wouldn't look out of place for the Auror to check on her.

"Okay." She said finally and swallowed as she stepped aside to allow him into her room. The moment the door was closed, she could feel the ward going up, and she doubted anyone spying on her would miss it.

"It is standard protocol to ward a room where a private interview is taking place."

"Do you know who is spying on me?" She asked as she considered what types of wards she could start to use regularly. It would be better if she could find a more permanent place to stay. She didn't know how long she would be able to afford the room at the Inn with no income.

"They couldn't get anything organized until after your visit from Harry, but now the Order is taking shifts," Cup said as he looked around the space then smiled at her.

"What do you need to ask me?" She asked, acting as if she didn't know what the visit was. "I only got one of their names, and I already told Diadem."

"Oh, Scabior and his partner are already at the Compound." He said easily.

"A-are they alive?" She asked as she could only imagine how any of them would react to someone kidnapping her.

"We are putting the fear of us into them, and then we plan to put them to work." He said with a smirk.

"So, what do you need from me?" She asked and crossed her arms over her chest. She was still wearing the sweater and jeans she had put on for Tea with Harry, and Cup eyed the clothes skeptically.

"To check to see how you're doing and give you this." He said as he took a leather bag out from his uniform. When he set it on the dining table, it clinked. "We've made an appointment for you at Gadrags at ten tomorrow. If you are no longer attending school, you need to buy a proper witch's wardrobe."

"I'm not taking your money." She said as she glared at him. "I will wear whatever I like."

"Hermione," Cup warned as he started towards her with an edged expression. She swallowed but held her chin up and did not back away as he stalked towards her.

He didn't stop until his chest was pressed against hers, and she had to look straight up to keep eye contact with him. Their lips were too close when he smiled down at her.

"We are being generous here. We are allowing you to choose for yourself." He pointed out as his hands settled on her shoulders. "But when I return here tomorrow evening, I will be burning every stitch of muggle clothing I find."

"You wouldn't dare." She hissed between clenched teeth.

"I would enjoy it if you choose not to buy anything as I remember your body with vivid and fond memories."

Her jaw worked for a moment before she stepped back and looked away.

"I don't want your blood money."

His lip twitched with amusement. "Blood money?" He asked and played with the dove hanging from her neck. "Would you like some medicine?" He asked, making her flush.

Offering her the morality potion had become their standard response to any time she showed any sort of integrity.

"No." She glared at him even as his fingers brushed over her collarbone and up towards her neck.

"When are you going to realize that you only ever get so much choice when it comes to your well being? You can't be trusted to choose correctly. The money is for your new clothes and your boarding here until we can find you some kind of work."

"What?" She asked, now confused as his fingers wrapped around her slim neck.

"If we are to keep up the appearance that you are not our pet, then you must at least seem to earn your way in the world until you can find a proper Master."

She swallowed as she looked at him, and he squeezed just enough to remind her how easy it would be for any of them to hurt her and how they chose not to.

"Who would you like with you tonight?"

Hermione licked her lips and shook her head. "I want to be alone." She answered, which only made Cup smile. "I'm not ready to talk to Diadem." She added because they both knew alone wasn't a choice they were giving her. "You could be a big bag Auror and sleep outside my door." She offered.

"I'd rather sleep buried inside your delectable little body, kitten." He said as he stepped closer.

"Kitten?" She asked, looking up at him with owlish eyes.

"Yes, my little Gryffindor. I've always wanted a little beasty to take care of, put you in my collar, and make you eat from a bowl. You would be lovely."

"I thought you might have been the type to torture small animals as a kid."

"Fortunately for you, you like being tortured." He countered as his lips turned up in a sharp smile.

Hermione swallowed, feeling even more like prey in Cup's presence. It suddenly made sense that this was the Horcrux that had become an Auror. But she wasn't sure if she could handle his kind of attention tonight. It seemed to her that each Tom wanted something a little different while they were all quite controlling.

"Well, that isn't something I am offering. I still need to figure a few thin-"

Cup squeezed her neck a bit hard and leaned in, so his lips brushed against hers. "I'll join you after my shift tonight, and I may even bring some toys."

"None of you are good at listening, are you?" She growled and pushed at his chest. He only tightened his hold on her neck as one side of his mouth quirked in amusement.

"Not when you are being ridiculous. You didn't want to choose, so I am." He finally leaned in the last millimeters to capture her lips in a slow and lazy kiss.

Hermione's eyes fluttered closed at the familiar taste of his tongue, exploring her mouth. He only loosened his hold on her neck once he had finished tasting every part of her tongue.

"Going to have so much fun fucking my little beasty." He purred his eyes alight with pleasure.

"What happened to 'kitten'?" She panted as she couldn't look away from him.

"Decided beasty was more apt." He explained casually. "You are going to be a good little beasty and do as you Master commands, right, Hermione?"

She bit her lip and looked over at the money. She closed her eyes because she would not put it past them to burn all the clothes they didn't like. But it was something that they hadn't just bought the robes and expected her to wear them. This way, she could at least choose her wardrobe.

They continued to chip away at the control of every piece of her life, and Hermione felt powerless to refuse them. She hoped she could find another sponsor for her Apprenticeship so that she could at least keep something for herself.

"Hermione?" He asked again, and she realized she had never answered him.

"Fine."

"I'll be back in a few hours. When I arrive, I want you naked and on the floor." He commanded, making Hermione swallow. "Pets don't belong on the furniture, do they?" He asked, smirking at her.

She could hear the blood pumping in her ears as she nodded in agreement. It was going to be another overwhelming night, and she wondered if she would ever have a rest from any of it.

"Good girl." He purred and kissed her nose. "Lock the door and put a Thorndian Ward on the room when I leave. We don't need any spies reporting my return or your sexual appetites."

" _ My _ sexual appetites?" She couldn't help but laugh. "You're taking for granted that I know the Thorndian Ward?" She sounded more pleased than she meant to by his assumption.

"I know exactly how smart and well-read my beasty is." He said, tapping her nose with his index finger. "Now you will do as you're told." He said firmly before his fingers trailed back to her neck. "If you heal these, I will have to make them darker next time." He added idly before stepping back from her. 

He took down his wards then gave her the most devious look. "Thank you for your time, Miss Granger, we may be in touch."

She frowned as she tried to think of how she would respond if they had a normal conversation. "Just let me know if you need anything else." She said, which made Cup's expression bright.

"I will be sure to do that, Miss." He said before showing himself out.

Hermione locked the door behind him before casting the Thorndian Ward around the room, as he had suggested. From what she knew of the ward, it was nearly impossible to see or hear anything from outside, and one had to know the caster and the ward very well to pass through it. Cup was counting on the fact he thought he knew her for whatever way he planned to get into the room unseen.

She caught herself staring at the door, and she wondered what she was waiting for. The ward could be breached if one had enough magic to force your way through, but she doubted Dumbeldore or his spies would want to be that obvious.

After that, Hermione propped herself on the bed and decided to read for pleasure. She had a new ancient runes book that she hadn't had time to enjoy. Hermione shifted in the bed and worked to get comfortable, but she couldn't find a position where she felt relaxed. After nearly thirty minutes of being unable to focus on her book properly, she set it down with a thump.

_ I'll be back in a few hours. When I arrive, I want you naked and on the floor. _

Hermione chewed on her bottom lip as she considered her options. Was it possible she couldn't get comfortable for fear of not following orders? Hermione had a habit of losing herself in a text, and there was a chance she wouldn't be ready for him. But why did she care? Hermione growled in frustration. Did she really want to play Cup's game? Hadn't she had enough of their demining proclivities?

She bit her lip hard enough to taste blood, then sucked the new wound and moved into action before she knew what she had decided. She was looking through her trunk for something, and she wasn't sure what it was until her hand rested on an extra bottle of morality potion Diadem had gifted her.

She swallowed and looked at the vile in her hand. Was it right to repeatedly block this part of herself? The potion didn't make her feel out of control; if anything, she felt more in control. Hermione knew that when she took it, her only motivations were her desires. She uncorked the bottle and downed it without letting herself think any longer. It didn't hurt anyone to allow herself to rest from the ever raging moral battle inside.

She stood with her eyes closed as she allowed the potion to take effect and searched for the answer to what she wanted to do that night. Slowly she closed her trunk and set the empty bottle on top of it before she started to undress. She set her clothes carefully out of the way before she looked around for what she wanted next.

When Hermione spotted the bag of coins Cup had left before. She walked over to it and weighed it in her hand. She considered why she had been upset before about taking the money from the Dark Wizard. She had told him that it was because it was tainted with his deeds, but when she looked past the moral excuse, she realized it was a matter of pride. She didn't want to be taken care of by any man. Hermione wanted to stand on her own and be a partner in her relationship with the harem of Toms.

She chuckled to herself at the thought. Harem of Toms, she was sure they would  _ love _ her calling them that. She sighed and set the coins back on the table. She would have to accept their help for the time being as she had no way of making it on her own. She was sure Dumbledore would have her blacklisted sooner than later.

She remembered Cup mentioning getting her a job; she would have to insist it be a real job. With at least one decision to calm her worries, Hermione picked up her rune book and settled on soft rub in front of the fire. She laid on her stomach and was finally comfortable enough to relax.

Hermione heard the pop that indicated an Apparition but did not look up from her book. She felt him kneel beside her and decided to see what he would do. Long delicate fingers moved into her hair and brushed against her scalp in a way that made her want to purr.

Cup pulled her hair back and started to plait it with skilled hands. She sighed happily at the attention but continued to read her book. It seemed he did not require her full focus, and she couldn't help but enjoy the pampering.

Once he had finished with her hair, he moved to brush his digits down her spine and made her back come alive with gooseflesh. Her nipples hardened as he continued to pet her like some lazy cat.

Her eyes were reading half-lidded when she felt soft material wrapped around her neck. She thought little of it as Cup continued to use one hand to pet her. When she heard the tiny tinkle of a bell, she blinked lazily and ran a hand over the collar; he was buckling on her neck. It was smooth and soft with a little bell on a ring she couldn't see.

There was also a tag on the ring, and she wondered if he read 'Beasty' or 'Hermione.' She couldn't decide which would be more demeaning or which she would prefer.

"You make such an exquisite picture like this. Would you like to see yourself?" He asked as he continued to enjoy the feel of her back.

Hermione licked her lips and nodded, feeling too relaxed to speak. Cup stood and cast a reflection spell that ran the length of her body. She shifted onto her side to get a better look. She couldn't help but smile the pretty red collar and the silver tag that read 'Property of Voldemort.' She flipped it over and blushed as she read 'Hermione' in clear script.

"You like it, don't you little beasty?" Cup purred, drawing her attention away from the glass and up to him. "You can wear it whenever you like once you join us on the Compound." 

She nodded thoughtfully and looked back at herself. The creature lying lazily on her side as if she had nothing in the world to worry about did not seem like the Hermione she knew. She might like this Hermione a bit better.

"Now that it is finally my turn, we will have some fun, Hermione." He told her with a smirk before taking off the outer robes to the Auror uniform.

She cocked her head curiously at him, but didn't feel the need to vocalize a question. He would tell her anything she needed to know.

"Be a good pet and roll onto your back. I have a feeling you've never been properly groomed." 

She raised an eyebrow at him as he carried a leather box from a stack that had appeared in the middle of the room.

"I bathe." She finally said though she hated the sound of her voice breaking the silence.

"You're clean." He agreed as he pulled a pair of leather straps from his box. He suspended them in the air just above her feet. "But you don't pamper or take care of your grooming much further than that."

Hermione couldn't help the giggle that came to her lips at the image of Cup painting her nails.

"First, we are going to get rid of all this excess hair, my pet." He said as he pulled out a large jar of a green substance. Hermione frowned as he set it aside and pulled out a small cauldron as well as a tool that looked as if it was meant for spreading frosting.

"How are you doing that, exactly?" She asked as she watched him pour what looked like green sand into the caldron.

"I've been told the muggles have a similar process using hot wax. It is the best way to get the hair at the very root. It makes for a much smoother result, and it's painful." He said with a grin as if that were a bonus.

"Are you going to use one of those potions that stop hair growth after you're done?" Hermione asked as she tried not to fidget while watching him stir what must have been a self-heating cauldron.

"Why would I do that?" He looked down at her and smirked. "Then I would only get to do this once. In time I plan to make this a weekly ritual of ours."

Hermione let out a gasp when he used the tool to scoop a large glob of molten liquid onto her leg. She thought that maybe it was a bit hotter than necessary, but she wasn't about to complain as the heat went straight to her core.

Cup used the tool to spread the wax over her shin, and once it had fully set, he used a spell to rip it from her leg.

"Shit!" Hermione gasped. She had never had anything like it before; it was like having a bandage ripped off, only a hundred times worse.

"Good girl." Cup purred than started the process all over again.

Once he was done with her low legs, he moved to her thighs. Then he paused with the wax to trim the hair over her privates. She was trembling with nerves by the time he poured the hot substance over her mound.

She made little mewing sounds as her body didn't know what to do with the beautiful agony, but as he ripped the last bit of hair from her quim she saw white as her back arched and her toes curled. She couldn't believe she had climaxed from having her vagina waxed. By the time she had the brainpower to look down at him, Hermione found that Cup was messaging some kind of oil into her reddened skin.

"You are such a perfect little beasty." He murmured as his fingers played over her already throbbing clit. "You enjoy everything your Master does to you." He praised her as his hands moved away from her core and down her legs.

After the wax, everything else seemed mild. Cup messaged different oils into every inch of her skin. His hands worked exfoliating gunk Hermione had never bothered with into her feet and ankles. He murmured how beautiful she was going to be and how her skin was going to glow continually as he worked. He even cleaned and trimmed her nails, tisking as he found where she had bitten a few.

When he finally had her sit up, he unbraided her hair and worked oils into it as well as her scalp, and when Cup finished, he left her to lay on the floor in blissed-out relaxation. She may not have chosen his care that night, but she started to think it had been precisely what she needed.

She distantly heard the water running in the tub, but it seemed to make sense in a way as she was covered in layers of potions, oils, and whatever he had put on her feet. She would need to bathe to clean off anything her skin wasn't absorbing.

Hermione thought she might have fallen asleep as one moment she was lying on the ground, and the next, she was in the air floating towards the bath.

"I can wash myself," She murmured, but there was no strength in it.

"Not tonight." His answer was expected, and she didn't put up any more fight.

He scrubbed Hermione from her head down as she dozed and just enjoyed the feel of his touch.

"Do you like this because of the cup's magic?" She asked dreamily.

"Hufflepuff magic always has a taste of work ethic and care. She liked to tend and grow things. The magic of the cup is to cleanse any liquid put into it of poison, so I find it satisfying to clean you similarly. To tend you as Hegla tended her plants."

"But everything has its edge of control and violence." She murmured sleepily, and he hummed in agreement.

Cup dried her with a spell after he had lifted her from the tub. Once she was ready, he laid her down on the bed.

"In my room, back at the Compound, I have a bed just for you, and you are welcome to sleep there anytime you like." He purred as he watched her snuggle into the comforter.

"That sounds nice." She sighed as he pulled her arms up over her head. She knew he was locking her wrist to the bed, but she couldn't find it in her to care. Next, he spread her legs and cuffed her ankles to spread her wide in the center of the bed.

"Is there room for you?" She asked drowsily as she heard him shift away from the bed.

"I don't sleep with my pets."

"Pets?" She asked, only half paying attention to anything.

"Eventually, I'll enjoy caring for Harry as well. Maybe he will be my kitten. But you two will make such a lovely mated pair."

She laughed, and her eyes fluttered open as he looked over at him. He had a shiny silver box, and he sat down on the bed next to her.

"Does this mean you're never going to have sex with us?" She asked, and she found that it oddly didn't bother her that he planned to give Harry his attention as well. Was her jealousy connected to her morality?

"Sleeping and coitus are not the same thing." He pointed out as his fingers played with her nipple. "A few final touches, and you'll be finished."

"I don't think I have the energy for coitus tonight." She sighed but arched her back into his hand anyway.

"That is probably for the best tonight." He said as he moved to torture her other nipple into a hard peak.

"Then, why tease me?" She moaned, wishing she could rub her thighs together.

"For placing the piercings where I want them. Wouldn't want to mess up." His purr had her eyes opened wide for the first time.

"Piercing?" She asked as she watched him open the box to take out a needle and a silver ring.

"You'll like this, I promise." Cup soothed as he knelt over her chest. She bit her lip hard, knowing there was nothing she could do to stop him. As the needle pierced fleshed, she whimpered and worked not to shake as the pain spiked conflicting reactions throughout her entire body.

Her eyes were closed so tight that she hadn't realized he had finished with the first until the pain sprung anew in the second nipple.

"Shhh, just one more." He told her after a moment.

"ONE MORE?!" She gasped, and her eyes flew open as he moved down between her legs. She had heard horror stories of women losing all sensitivity from the piercing she assumed he had planned next. "Please, no?" She begged it was too much too soon.

His hand moved up and down her inner leg as he looked back up at her. "What are you worried about, little beasty?" Cup asked calmly. "Do you think I would ever damage you?" He stayed calm.

"Yes." She gasped because she wasn't stupid.

"Beyond repair?" He countered, and that made her pause.

"It can go so wrong." She motioned to the needle in his hand.

"I would never take a risk with your beautiful clitoris. Your body is one of my most prized possessions." He continued to soothe. "It will be beyond painful, but no true harm will come to you. And in the end, you will enjoy all the things we will do with it. Beyond all of that, though, there is the fact that pets don't get a choice." He added just to make her position clear.


	6. Rumors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Hermione felt that she might spend the rest of her life walking around aroused to the point of distraction. After the trauma of being pierced, Cup had only made her suffer for what felt like hours, but he informed her it had only been minutes before he applied Dittany to heal the wounds to kill the risk of infection.

Nothing made Hermione so thankful to be a witch as the fact that she didn't have to struggle through the next few weeks waiting for the piercings to heal. The downside of it was that the little silver rings pulled and rubbed at her most sensitive areas nonstop. She wondered as she walked down to the main dining room if they had been magicked to stimulate her continually or if that was just a product of where they had been placed.

Hermione realized before she left for her errands that it was Sunday, which meant the post office was closed, and she wouldn't be able to send out her stack of letters. But in a fit of paranoia, she brought them with her anyway. She had a feeling either one of Tom's and or Dumbledore's goons would be searching her room once she left it unattended.

As she settled in for breakfast in the Inn's main room, she realized that it must be a full Hogwarts weekend as there were already students slowly filtering into the establishment. She had her school cloak set over her chair but wore jeans and another sweater with a scarf around her neck to hide the bruises; Cup insisted she let heal naturally.

Hermione idly wondered if witches' robes would help with her stimulation issue. While she ate breakfast, she couldn't help the little teasing flicks of her pleasure as the jeans rubbed her just enough.

She sat to the side of the room at a small table with only two chairs and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast while reading the Sunday Edition of the Daily Prophet. She had plenty of time before her ten o'clock appointment and nothing else she could do that morning.

When she heard someone sit down in the seat across from her, she assumed it was one of her Toms coming to check to see if she planned to follow their orders. Or maybe they wanted to take her into the broom cupboard for a quickie. She wouldn't mind the latter; sex seemed to be non stop on her mind since she woke that morning.

"I only have an hour before I have to be at the Robe shop." She said, allowing them to take that as an offer or a refusal as they wished.

"I'm sure there are plenty of fun things a girl like you could get up to in an hour." A familiar baritone teased. This voice sounded nothing like any of the Toms' smooth tones.

Hermione looked up over her paper to find Blaise Zabini smiling back at her. Without responding to him further, she glanced around the room to see where the waiting group of Slytherins were watching from. When she found no other green robes in the area, she frowned and turned back to the playboy.

"A girl like me?" She asked as she set the paper aside and sat back in her chair. His eyes flicked to her chest, and she wondered if he could tell her nipples were hard or pierced. Without waiting to find out, she crossed her arms to hide her breasts from his gaze.

"All sorts of rumors going around why you had to leave school." He said before he caught the attention of a waiter to order himself some breakfast and tea.

"I'm sure there are." She agreed dryly.

"Who could have guessed a girl like you would turn out to be so…" He trailed off before looking into her eyes. "...accessible."

She laughed and tilted her head questioningly. "Accessible?" She asked, wondering exactly why he thought she had left school.

"I have to admit I always thought you were quite well-formed once you started to get your shape, but to know that you're not some dirty bitch was a pleasant surprise."

She shook her head and sighed before picking her paper back up to use as a shield. "Go away."

"Don't be like that." He said as he shifted forward in his chair. "We can both agree that you still aren't exactly marriage material with your squib name and unfortunate choice in friends. But there are wizards that could make you very happy as their Mistress."

She sighed and turned the page. "Why are you here bothering me, Zabini?" She asked as she wondered what time Ring came into work. Was he working that day?

"I'm here to offer a gateway into the elite society of the wealthy pureblood. You play your cards right there, and you won't have to worry about what some blood traitors think or do."

She took a sip of tea and set the paper aside to smile at him. "What would the price of this offer be exactly?" She asked as she decided to play along with the absurd claim.

"A good start would be showing me your room, and maybe what has you so excited under that muggle rag." His eyes gleamed as they shifted back to her breasts.

The little ego boost she got from drawing the prettiest boy in their year's attention made her bold. She shifted forward in her chair and mimicked his posture.

"I don't have time to show at the moment, but would you like me to tell?" She asked as she lowered her voice to almost a whisper then glanced around for anyone who might be listening.

"I would love for you to tell me why you keep wiggling in your seat." His voice was just as low and husky when he responded.

"What do I get if I tell you?" She asked, wondering how Zabini thought she was that kind of girl. If she was fair, it turned out she  _ was _ that kind of girl, but not for him.

The boy's almond-shaped eyes lit with pleasure at her question. "I could escort you to your appointment at the robe shop and tell you which knickers looked best." He offered as if it was a generous gift.

When he reached out to touch her hand, Hermione sat back, no need to risk a burn for a game in flirtation. The boy in front of her was definitely off-limits, and every one of the men who enjoyed dominating her would be pissed with the very idea of him seeing any part of her body. Even Harry would be upset with her choice in escort.

She bit the tip over her tongue as she thought it over, and Zabini's food arrived.

"Alright. This could be fun, but: no touching." She warned as if it was just a part of teasing him.

"For now." He amended and put his hands in the air to show he wouldn't lay a hand on her. "Just tell me the real reason you left school."

"Tell me what the rumors are." She countered as she shifted back in her chair but took on a comfortable posture.

"The biggest is the old coot kicked you out cause he thinks you might be working for the Dark Lord."

"That one makes absolute sense." She laughed even though it was pretty close to the truth. "Anything else?" She asked as she took a sip of tea.

"Potter knocked you up." He had waited for her to almost swallow so that she spit the tea all over herself. "I'll take that as a no?" He questioned.

She wiped her face with her napkin and cleaned the rest with a flick of her wand. "Are there a lot of rumors about Harry and me?" She asked curiously.

"Always have been. Everyone can see the way he looks at you, and you two have been inseparable since what? First-year?"

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I'm not pregnant." She told him firmly. "And I was almost dating Ron." She reminded him because they hadn't made a secret of it.

"Yeah, maybe, but Weasley was never worth your time."

"Careful, you're putting a half-blood over a pureblood." She smirked.

"Blood traitor. And after the stuff he has been saying about you, I didn't think you would care."

Hermione took a breath and bit her lip. She was tempted to ask, but if Harry hadn't warned her, it had to have been awful. "I'm pointing out your prejudices, not mine."

"Yeah, Grindelwald was always more magic and might, right? Over blood purity? Didn't care what kind of bloodline you had as long as you had the gift."

"I don't share my grandfather's prejudices either." She pointed out as she waited for him to finish.

"Right." He said in a tone that clearly expressed his disbelief.

Once he was done, he offered his arm, but she pulled on her cloak and pulled the fabric closed.

"No touching." She reminded him as she headed for the door.

"For now." He added once more as he followed her.

The robe shop wasn't far, and when she entered, she found that it was indeed a full clothing store. They had robes, as well as stockings, socks, and underthings. She was a little overwhelmed by the selection around her. The only time she had ever shopped for wizarding clothes was to buy her uniform.

"I think you would look good in warm colors," Blaise said as he stood much too close for her liking.

"May I help you?" A witch only a few years older than them stepped forward.

"Hermione Granger, I have an appointment at ten?" She said, and the girl smiled with a nod.

"I'll be fitting you, Miss, would you like to look around and pick some styles out?" The girl asked as she worked not to give Zabini too much of her focus.

Hermione took in a breath and nodded before she started to walk around the shop. Blaise stayed to flirt with the shop girl, which felt like a relief so that she could pick out robes without him buzzing about her brain.

When she had a few selected, the girl led her into the back to try them on and make adjustments as needed. Her Slytherin shadow watched her as she came out in each new robe, and she could tell within moments if it looked nice on her or not.

A few more that she hadn't selected appeared in her dressing room, and the girl explained it was at Zabini's request. She tried each of them merely out of curiosity and found they were all considerably more fitted and revealing around the bust.

"I was promised a show of underthings." He reminded her as she appeared in the last of the robes.

"We have quite a pretty collection of corsets and knickers." The girl responded with a pretty blush. Hermione had to wonder if the threat to burn her muggle clothes included her bras. The other girls in her dorm wore bras, but as she looked around the shop, she realized they only sold corsets.

"I'll pick some out for you." Zabini disappeared, and Hermione rubbed her face as she wondered if she had enough bravery to show her breasts off to the boy.

"Your boyfriend is  _ cute _ ." The girl whispered as she adjusted the robe to fit properly. "And he is very good at choosing what will look good on you."

"He isn't my boyfriend; he just wants into my knickers." Hermione deadpanned, which made the girl blush even more.

"I'll put them right here; you can try them on at her leisure." Zabini returned and put a bundle of different colored lace into her fitting room.

Every single thread he chose was frilly and playful. Hermione tended towards utilitarianism with her underthings, but she wondered what the Toms or Harry would think of her wrapped in blue lace.

When she came out in the first of the contraptions, she was surprised by how comfortable it was. Magical tailoring was a miracle to make the single layer of lace hold her entire breast though it seemed worse in rubbing the piercings than her old bra.

When she stepped out into the fitting area, the boy's eyes went directly to her breasts, and a broad smile formed on his lips.

"It's always the nerdy ones," He mumbled to himself before licking his lips. "Want help with the next one?" Zabini asked as he stepped forward. "I'm an expert at removing those."

"I'm sure you are," Hermione said dryly and shook her head. "That is-" She started when she heard the door at the front of the shop chime.

"I'll be right back, that one looks like it already fits pretty well." The shop girl said before rushing to the front.

"No touching." She reminded him as she didn't want to make a scene. Hermione headed back into the dressing room, determined not to show him anything else when the boy followed her inside.

"I think we're done with that part of the game." He said as he snatched her wand off the ground and tossed it over the door.

"Seriously, Zabini, get out." She told him firmly as she tried to keep her distance. She had so much skin exposed; there was no way she was getting out of the room without some kind of burn.

He just smirked and tore the scarf from her neck, revealing the bruises she had been careful to hide.

"You into that?" He asked as he cornered her in the room and wrapped his hand around her neck like Cup had the night before. "You're more fun than I dreamed."

"Are all pureblood men creepers?!" She growled as she kneed him in the balls and then walloped him with her elbow right in his nose when he crumpled forward.

The dressing room door slammed open as Diadem entered, eyes filled with someone's death. His gaze landed on the boy collapsed at Hermione's feet.

"AV-"

"You can't do that here." Hermione snapped as she stepped in front of the prone figure.

Diadem's gaze ran over the state of her dress.

" _ Crucio _ !" He aimed the new spell at Hermione, and she tumbled as every part of her body stopped working the way it should. All she knew was the pain. She landed on top of the boy as her blood filled with knives and fire. Diadem pulled her off of Zabini by her hair as he growled low in her direction. "You do not let others see you like this. You do not allow others to escort you places. You belong to us and only us."

All she could do was whimper as he continued to torture her and repeat his statements again and again. He was trying to make them connected to the punishment, and there was nothing even remotely fun about it this time. This was the true edge of Voldemort's displeasure. She had wanted to piss them off, and it seemed she had succeeded in spades.

When he finally lifted the spell, she was a whimpering mess on the ground. Her whole body cramped from the prolonged curse.

"Is the shop girl alive?" She asked

"Stunned." Diadem explained as he pulled Hermione into his lap and worked firm hands over cramped muscles.

"I'm sorry." She whimpered and closed her eyes. She hadn't meant for the game to go so far and had just been trying to upset them, not betray them.

"You didn't allow him to touch you?" He asked, expecting an honest answer.

"No. I told him no touching." She whimpered and shook her head. "He didn't listen, but it didn't burn." She realized for the first time.

"That curse wore off a while ago. Though I might add it to the necklace after this." Diadem hissed.

"Oh."

"You're forgiven, my dove." He said a moment later. "You know not to do anything like this again, even with a boy you hate?"

"Yes." She agreed as she kept her face buried in his shoulder. It was strange how much more the punishment meant after being held and soothed. It felt like a correction of behavior, not just an acton born from anger.

"I like this." He brushed his fingers over the back of her bodice.

"I like my bras better." She grumbled, and he chuckled.

"Too bad. Can you get dressed?" He asked as he carefully pulled back to look in her eyes.

"Yes." She nodded, and they both carefully got to their feet.

"You're going to go to a few more shops, maybe buy yourself a book or two, and then head back to your room and ward it like you did last night."

"You can't kill him," Hermione said as he looked down at the crumpled pile of Slytherin boy.

"I swear I won't kill him. And I'll have the girl pack up your clothes and send them along as if none of this happened." He promised.

"We need to talk." She said as she grabbed the scarf from the ground to cover her neck.

"I'm pleased that you are finally ready." He nodded as he watched her dress.


	7. Options

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Hermione did as Diadem suggested and meandered around the shops on the central row. She found herself a couple of new books as well as picked up some treats at Honeydukes. Hermione continued to think about what he would do to Zabini and the shop girl. She would have to check on the shop the next day, maybe buy herself some stockings as an excuse to make sure the girl was alright. She wasn't sure how to check on Zabini without being obvious, but she also didn't care as much about what happened to him.

It was well after midday by the time she settled back into her room. She felt worn out but still managed to lock and ward herself inside. Hermione paced as she considered what she would say when Diadem appeared and wondered when he would come. Had he been tracking her movements all day? Would he arrive soon, or would he wait until it was well into the night?

Hermione's mind was so stuck on the when that by the time he Apparated in front of her, she hadn't been able to consider what she would say.

Without giving her a moment to breathe, he pulled her into a demanding kiss. His hand tugged at her scalp as he expertly controlled how she moved against him. She fell into a thoughtless void and relaxed physically into his embrace. He made her feel safe, no matter how much she hated it.

Hermione was panting by the time he pulled back. "Let's heal these, shall we?" Diadem brushed fingers over the bruises on her neck.

"I'm not allowed." She panicked, she didn't want Cup to be angry with her too.

"That boy isn't allowed to mark you." He hissed, and she quickly shook her head.

"They're Cup's." She gasped as she covered the marks with her hands. Diadem instantly relaxed.

"You did a number on his face." He added with shining eyes. "But he is not going to remember anything that happened in the robe shop. As far as he and the girl are concerned, you entered the shop alone."

"What about Dumbledore's spy?" She asked, and Diadem only brightened.

"That would be me. I'm to keep track of you until dawn." He purred as his fingers trailed from her neck down to the V of her sweater.

"Which is why you felt safe coming into the shop after me."

"I had wanted to stun the other two and fuck you in the dressing room." He frowned at thwarted plans. "I bet you are quite at your limit with your new accessories." His eyes drifted down to her shirt.

"What did you do to them?" She asked as she stepped back to put some space between her and his hungry gaze.

"Altered their memories of the day, the boy thinks you flirted with him at the Inn then turned him down before leaving for the shop. He picked up another girl and got beat up by her boyfriend."

"You were going to kill him." She pointed out; she didn't know if she trusted Diadem's story.

"You were right to stop me; we have been working to keep a low profile after all. We'll kill the boy at a more convenient time." He explained without remorse.

"You can't just…" She crossed her arms and stood firm. "I can't be with…" She bit her lip. What could she say to them that would change their plans? "You must understand that I can't be on your side? Blood purity is wrong even if I happen to be a pureblood after all."

"Is that what you wanted to talk about, I was sure we would be discussing Harry." He said with a smirk.

"We need to talk about both. You've killed good people. You killed Harry's parents for Merlin's sake!"

"Two things on that. First, I was made long before Harry was even born. Second, Voldemort tried to leave them alive. We only wanted the boy."

"But you all still want to collect him like we are members of some kind of cult that worships at your cock."

"To be fair, you enjoy worshiping my cock."

"You're not answering my question, how do you expect Harry or I to be able to just…"

"Shhh." Diadem stepped towards her as if she were a wounded beast. "You want to know our plans because Albus has been filling your heads with the darkest parts of us for most of your childhood."

"You want to conquer the wizarding world and subjugate the muggle-borns!" She yelled because she wouldn't be handled.

Diadem chuckled, reaching out to brush the side of her face as if she wasn't asking a life or death question. "We have plans that include you and our Death Eaters."

"I will not be a part of subjugating an entire race of people." She stood firm. "You all claim to know me so well, do you think that if you feed me enough poison, I will swallow your hatred as well?"

"Hermione, no one has ever mentioned forcing you to change your values permanently." He pointed out as he slowly closed the distance between them.

"Harry worries about the same thing."

"I know." He nodded as he gently stroked her face. "Harry and I have talked since I saw you last, and I was able to put his fears at ease."

"How?"

"By telling him the truth. We've been doing this same cycle over and over again. Time is fixed, Hermione. If it weren't, we would send Tom back with a different plan. But that would cause you and Harry too much damage. Your worries stem from a combination of things we had to do to make sure this world came to be, sacrifices we made for you and him. And the ugly lies of an old man looking to keep what power he has."

"Are you trying to tell me you don't want to destroy muggle-borns and muggles?" She asked doubtfully.

"I personally despise muggles; I would sooner kill one than have to talk to it." He sneered. "And those who I have gathered around me, work to retake their way of life. You may have noticed I have made no moves to free those Death Eaters who were captured after my fall?"

"Because you can't." She said as she considered the security of Azkaban.

Diadem laughed at her and shook his head. "Do not doubt my power little dove; they are there because it is easier for me that way. The most extreme of my followers are safely detained, they served their purpose, and I have no further need for them."

"Oh, and when do you plan to throw me away?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.

"My lovely girl, you are never getting away from us. We have plans to keep you by our side for eternity."

"You're still talking around the question." She stated firmly, even if his promise made her heart leap.

"I am not yet willing to go into the exact details of our plan, but I promise you that it no longer includes the absolute death or subjugation of the muggle-born people."

She let out a slow breath and nodded to herself. "You and Harry will help us shape the future, Hermione." He added as he leaned in close to her. "You two will act as our mercy and conscious. That is what we have in store for you. As you held me back today from making a mistake in my fury, you will help temper our plans for the world."

Hermione's heart was racing with how close he stood to her, and just the thought of the role she and Harry would play in his plans was too much to ever ask for. He made it sound like she would have everything she ever wanted, and she couldn't allow herself to trust it.

"If I ever get an inkling that you are lying to me-"

"We don't lie to you, Hermione," He reminded her as he kissed the top of her head. "I find it interesting you haven't wanted to talk more about Harry."

"I was getting to that part; I've had time to talk to him about it and think for myself."

"And what have you come up with?" He asked as he continued to crowd her.

She rested her head on his chest and let out a sigh. "My jealousy was born of worry for him and my pesky morality. There are parts of my morals that I agree are not in my own best interests."

"Oh?" He asked as his hand moved to the small of her back.

"The parts that are based on social pressure not to do certain things because of outdated ideas of what is right. If an action has no victims, why is it wrong? Why is it wrong to let you all care for and share pleasure with me? Why is it wrong to be with a man that loves me and that I love? Why is it wrong to enjoy things that are outside the norm. It would be like saying being gay, or bisexual, or even transgender is wrong, and I'm not someone that would even fall into that trap. I care about people's rights, so why wouldn't I care about my own?"

"You are allowed to breathe, Hermione." He said, kissing her head again. "It sounds like your rant means that you accept the idea that we want to keep you both, and that it won't cause any more friction between us?"

"Oh, I didn't say that. Relationships between two people are complex as it is, the more people you add, the more complex emotions run. This relationship will never be perfect, but no relationship is. What I am saying is that I am willing to try."

"Good girl."

"You know it's condescending when you constantly say that." She murmured even as she was pleased by his praise.

"I know, and yet I don't plan to stop. I do have a few more issues we must talk about if you honestly don't need to discuss our relationship with Harry further."

"Like what?" She asked as she tried and failed to disentangle herself from his embrace.

"The only wizards with any clout or power not under Dumbledore's thumb are my Death Eaters." He started, and she frowned up at him because she wasn't sure exactly where the statement was leading. "At least if you wish to stay in Europe."

"That isn't exactly surprising." She sighed and bit her lower lip. "I'm sending out my inquiries tomorrow; I have a stack I've made up in my bag."

"I would like you to add a few more to that stack as if anyone intercepts your mail I want it to seem as if these job offers came from your work and not anything from any of us."

"Who?" She asked as her skin crawled at the idea of having to ask a Death Eater for anything.

"Malfoy, Nott, and Avery." He listed off three suspected Death Eaters, but no one had ever been able to prove anything.

Hermione rolled her lips into her mouth and grimaced up at him in a long silent moment of thought she sighed. "I suppose I will have to accept one of them as my teacher if I can't find someone else?"

He chuckled and played with her hair. "You're not going to find someone else; I don't even have to do anything to keep that from happening."

Hermione growled and finally pulled out of his hold so she could pace. "You want me to learn from some Death Eater? Really? All the pureblood men I have met so far have been horrible! I thought they were bad when I was considered a muggle-born, they've only gotten worse now that they know I'm not."

"You don't have to learn from any of them, Voldemort will be the true Master for your Apprenticeship. We just need a publicly NEWTs accredited and living wizard to put on your application to take the NEWTs."

"Diadem, I need a real job where I can use my mind outside of the Compound." She stopped her pacing and put her hands on her hips as she glared at him. "You claim to care about my sanity, so you need to know that it is non-negotiable."

"Write to the three of them as you have the rest, we have not yet told any of them of our involvement with you. When you hear back from each, we will consider each offer, but on our terms."

"That still leaves the problem of me working with one of your creepy friends."

He chuckled and smiled at her. "Whoever you choose will sit down with you and the Primary, so they clearly understand what you mean to us, and how very off-limits you are."

She let out a slow breath and chewed her bottom lip as she considered the idea. "We will see if that is my only option."

"It will be."


	8. It Takes Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

The next morning Hermione awoke to the sound of knocking on her door. She blinked, wondering what time it was and who would be calling so early. A large male hand still rested on her bare hip, and she couldn't help but smile as she snuggled back against Diadem's firm chest.

When the knock persisted, she felt him shift behind her as it woke him. His hand slipped from her hip and moved to play with the little ring between her thighs.

"Someone is at the door." She softly breathed as she hoped they would just go away.

"They can't hear us." He reminded her as he forced her legs apart a little more.

"I can't answer it with you here." She panted as he skillfully worked her to arousal with what seemed like idle strokes.

"I could fuck you against that door, and no one would be the wiser. They can knock all they like." He purred as he nipped her ear.

"Diadem." She moaned as the knocking continued. The person was not going away.

"Miss Granger." The clear voice of Ring made them freeze in their morning fun. "A package has arrived for you this morning."

"My clothes." She pulled free of his hold.

"I'll be right back; once they are inside, put the ward back up. I don't want to give Severus the pleasure of finding me in your room. You should put on a robe as well." He added as he tossed her bathrobe to cover herself.

The idea of Snape using some kind of spell to see her naked made her skin crawl, and she quickly wrapped it around her body. She watched with a little smirk as Diadem Disapparated while still naked himself. She had to wonder where he went that he felt secure arriving there with his johnson exposed.

The moment she opened the door, it broke her ward, and she smiled up at an inpatient-looking ring. She quickly stepped out of his way so he could levitate the trunk full of new clothing. Hermione bit her lip as she realized Diadem must have just ordered everything she had in the dressing room. How was he supposed to know what she wanted or didn't want?

"Sorry, Nat, I didn't expect them to arrive so early." She said softly and wondered if they were performing for Snape. If the spy were smart, he would take the opportunity.

"Would you consider a kiss to apologize?" He asked as he gave her a challenging look. Privately the Horcrux had tasted every inch of her, but publicly they hardly knew each other. She could see an advantage in building a public relationship with a boy that seemed close to her age.

"Sure." She agreed and moved onto her toes to kiss his cheek.

"Feel sorry enough to come out with me tonight?" He whispered though even then there was no telling what was being overheard.

"Only if you promise to take my mind off life." She answered, and Ring's eyes lit.

"It's a deal. I'll pick you up at seven?"

"It's a date." She agreed with a smile.

The moment Ring left, Hermione locked the door and recast the ward. What seemed like three seconds later, both Ring and Diadem appeared on either side of her.

"Now, where were we?" Diadem asked as he was already uniting the belt to her robe.

"Time to burn her muggle rags, isn't it?" Ring asked as he pulled the cloth from her shoulders.

"Can I make a request for clemency for my bras and knickers?" She asked as Diadem's hands cupped her breasts, and Ring started to trail kisses along her neck. "How did you guys return at the same time?" She added as she suddenly realized how strange that was.

"Do you mean the slightly gray cotton abominations you've been wearing?" Diadem asked dryly.

His question gave her the answer to her first question, and she wasn't sure she cared for the second when his thumbs started to tease the rings at her chest.

"We have two-way mirrors." Ring explained as his hands moved to cup her lower cheeks and squeezed lightly before pulling back.

"You timed it?" She gasped as Diadem led her back over to the bed, all the while teasing her body.

"We timed it." Ring agreed as he opened her school trunk and started to rifle through.

"In all seriousness, I like some of those. And we didn't buy any pajamas." She said as Diadem worked to distract her and keep her occupied.

He settled on the bed and pulled her to straddle his lap as he used her wet slit to tease his hardening shaft.

"You don't need pajamas," Diadem argued, drawing her attention away from what Ring was doing. "And, can you honestly say you have an emotional attachment to your muggle clothes?" He asked, forcing her to keep eye contact with him.

Hermione bit her lip and shook her head. "Some of them are comfortable."

"If you want comfort, you can go nude."

"I don't like corsets." She gasped as he played her body like a musical instrument. It seemed he was a master at making her sing.

"I don't like corsets." She whimpered again as Diadem impaled her onto himself and coerced her into riding him as Ring did who-knows-what with her clothes.

"Buy better bras." Ring called out from behind her.

She looked over to find that he was tossing all her muggle things into the fireplace. With one spell, they would be gone for sure. Hermione whimpered as she was torn between trying to save something from her old life and the delicious way Diadem's member stretched her insides.

"That's it dove, give into us." Diadem cooed before pulling her into a heated kiss. Her entire focus shifted to him, and the pleasure they were sharing, what had clothing ever meant to her?

Several kisses and a lot more teasing later, she felt Ring kneel behind her on the bed. She could feel exposed skin against her own, and she couldn't help the gasp that escaped her as he nipped her shoulder.

A moment later, she felt a sort of stinging inside a place that made her still on top of Diadem.

"Shhh, he won't hurt you," Diadem promised as he looked into her eyes. "You just need to relax and push when you feel him inside."

"I've never…"

"We know little dove, but you are going to like this." Ring whispered and coaxed as she felt another odd greasy sensation inside her rear.

Diadem shifted so that only the head of his shaft was inside her as Ring pressed against her virgin hole, her last virgin hole, she realized with a blush. She tensed as she felt him press against her, but Diadem plucked at the ring connected to her clit to make her gasp.

He played with the sensitive numb as Ring pushed himself slow inside. She was whimpered as it felt strange but pushed and tried not to tense as they had explained before.

"Good girl." Ring murmured as he steadily stank inside of her. "Just relax, you like it, don't you?" He asked as she found herself looking down into Diadem's eyes. He was smiling at her as he continued to tease her clit.

"Yes." She admitted as the feeling was odd, but also satisfying to have him inside of her.

"Next time, we'll give you something to do with your mouth as well." Diadem joked as Ring bottomed out and let her adjust.

"You feel so good, little dove." Ring moaned. "Such a good girl for her Master."

She trembled between the two men as Ring slowly pulled out, and Diadem took the opportunity to pull her down onto him. Her eyes widened as they continued this rhythm, and she was always filled with one or the other. It was a novel and powerful sensation that she knew she could grow addicted to.

"Oh." She keened as she grasped onto Diadem's shoulders. "Please?" She whimpered and squeezed her eyes tight.

"Stop?" Ring asked playfully, and she shook her head.

"No, no-no." She quickly said so they wouldn't ruin her building climax.

"Not without permission, little dove," Diadem warned, making her whimper for a different reason.

"Please?" She gasped as she worked to hold herself on the edge.

"Such a needy little brat." He playfully commented as she drove nails into his skin.

"Please, Master?" She begged again, trying to stroke their egos.

"Are you ready, little dove?" Ring asked. "Will you come for us the very moment we give you permission?" He clarified.

"Yes." She nodded as her toes cramped. "I promise!"

"Come for me, little dove" They spoke in unison, sending her over the edge into bliss. She whimpered as they kept her from collapsing into a heap and continued to use her very sensitive thrashing form.

"Can't be too greedy Hermione, you need to let us get our fill." Ring said as he reached around her and tortured her clit with a few brushes of his fingertips.

"Too much!" She gasped but worked to steady uncooperative limbs.

"You'll take anything we give you." Ring hissed and teased her more out of spite. "You'll thank us for every sensation we offer. Thank us, Hermione. We let you come."

Hermione nodded as she felt like her body would never come down from the whirl of too much stimulus.

"Thank you, Master." She mewed while working to catch her breath. It was only a few more minutes of torturous pleasure until Diadem came and was soon followed by Ring. Hermione's head swam with the idea that their seed filled her more thoroughly than ever before.

When Ring finally withdrew from her, she realized they had both been buried to the hilt when they came, and that gave her an odd sense of pride as well.

"Such a good girl." Ring kissed her shoulder before climbing out of bed. "Do you have time for a bath?" He asked, and she thought it was a weird question as she had no place to be.

"Staff meeting this morning, I'll shower when I get to your place," Diadem answered as he pet her back. "I need to go little one, will you be alright?"

"Going to sleep more." Hermione murmured before rolling off of him. "You all wear me out."

"You have time for a bath." Ring said as he landed a firm spank onto her rear.

"After more sleep." She argued, working on wiggling herself under the covers.

"Did she write the letter last night, or do I need to have her add them this morning?" Ring asked as Diadem climbed out of bed and started to dress.

"She wrote them last night."

"It is weird when you guys talk about me like I'm not here." She grumbled, earning her another spank.

"Bath." They said in unison, and she glared up at them both. Why did the jerks have to be so controlling? It wasn't like she had anywhere to be? She wasn't even surprised when she was pulled bodily from the bed and unceremoniously dumped into the tub.

Ring left soon after they were both clean, and Hermione sighed as she was left to find something to wear among her new clothes. Not a single stitch of her muggle underthings had survived. She considered too late that she should have hidden some, but that might have just gotten her punished.

Once resigned, she found a matching pair of white knickers and corset. She looked at herself in the full-length free-standing mirror and couldn't help but blush even though she was all alone. Now it seemed she was a woman who wore pretty things.

She worried her bottom lip for a long moment as she looked at herself. She had never thought of herself as pretty. She was always the smart one. Was her body a part of what these men found so desirable? For Voldemort, at least she felt that her mind and personal power had a lot more to do with his attraction, but the way he touched her made her think her physicality was a part of her appeal.

Then she thought about how Zabini had looked at her and called her well shaped. It wasn't that she cared about his opinion; she had just never considered boys were looking at her that way.

She shook the thoughts away and picked out a deep purple robe to wear to the post office. With the corset under it, the outfit looked a bit different than it had in the story, but she felt she looked tidy and respectable, which was all that mattered.

She collected her bag and stored the new letters with the rest before checking over her room for anything she wouldn't want someone to find. She grimaced at the idea of someone like Snape going through her knickers, but there wasn't much she could do to stop him. She couldn't wait to put down roots in a more permanent way.

As she made her way down the road towards the post office, she found her mind wandering to the birch room at the Compound. She couldn't imagine Voldemort inviting outsiders to his sanctuary, so she saw no reason to have a guest room. Did that room already belong to her? Did she already have roots?


	9. Mixed Messages

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

It was only a few days after sending her missives out that Hermione started to receive responses. Some of the wizards had to have ready-made replies. As more came in each day, most were politely worded rejections; some were much more rube; only a few were down-right hostels.

As each new refusal arrived, Hermione's last hopes started to die. She would have to accept one of the Death Eater's proposals when they finally got around to answering her. It was almost a week later when she received Avery's letter. But instead of opening it, she set it aside and determined to wait for all three to respond.

Three days after Avery's letter arrived, Hermione flipped through the latest round of rejections from the 'honest' wizards she knew. She opened each letter and read it carefully before tossing it in the bin.

When Malfoy's careful script surfaced, Hermione grimaced and set it aside to tuck away for later. But the letter under his made her completely forget about the pompous jerk. The address was like so many others she had received; owls were well known for finding their queries no matter how you addressed the letter, but at the bottom, a question was written in a shaky hand. It was the question that made her pause.

_ Are you really Vinda's granddaughter? _

She had continued receiving letters with questions and hate about the article in the Prophet, but something felt different about this particular letter. No one called had called her grandmother by her first name. Hemione opened the letter and scanned the continents. It was written in the same shaky hand.

_ Dear Hermione, _

_ I have recently read an article in a British newspaper that says that you are the biological granddaughter of Vinda Rosier. The paper also hypothesized that you might, in fact, be mine as well. Forgive an old man for his courtesy. I have been wasting away without much amusement for too many years to count. _

_ Vinda and I enjoyed a stimulating intellectual and physical relationship before we were brought to this accursed place. I had thought the powers of this prison had ruined the girl child that was likely mine. Whom the article indicates was your mother. But as I have been informed you are a surpassingly accomplished witch, even for one so young, I can only assume my and Vinda's talents could only be held back so much. _

_ I wish to talk to you about who you are and what was done to our family. I have been told you are likely to refuse my request, but I hope you have inherited enough of my curiosity to want to know the missing parts of your heritage. _

_ ~Gellert Grindelwald _

"What was done to our family?" She asked the paper as she chewed on her lip. It had no further answers for her, so she set it aside with hands she hadn't realized were trembling. She flexed her fingers a few times as she tried to refocus on the rest of her mail.

"Miss Granger?" Hermione was startled a few minutes later by one of her Toms knocking at the door. She set the unread stack aside and used her wand to lower wards and unlock the door.

"Come in." She called as she looked over her shoulder.

Ring entered with a tray of food and a kind smile. "I noticed that you haven't come down to eat all day." He said as he closed the door behind him and set the tray on the small dining table.

"I've been a bit busy going through my mail." She said as she looked back at the unopened stack. She noticed with a frown that Nott's letter was also among the pile. She couldn't put off that any longer, either it seemed.

"Anything interesting?" Ring had moved up behind her as she had been looking at the unopened stack. It wasn't until he snatched Grindelwald's letter that she remembered she had left it open on the desk.

His eyes scanned the continents as she looked up at him nervously. Was he going to be mad, or try and forbid her from going? He set the letter down without a word and brushed a finger over her cheek fondly.

They had flirted and gone out publicly every so often, so the touch was not out of line if someone was spying.

"I've heard you might be leaving us soon." He said instead of commenting on the letter. It was his way of telling her that they were being watched.

"I've finally gotten a few offers, so it is only a matter of time before I choose which I will take." She agreed, and Ring looked down at her pleased.

"Oh?"

Hermione sighed as she pulled out the three Death Eater's letters and opened the first on the stack. Nott's letter was flattering but mostly to the point. He would be willing to take her as an Apprentice. He would provide room and board at his manor, and she would be expected to organize and keep his extensive library.

Knowing that they would all wish to know how their Death Eaters were corresponding with her, she handed the letter directly to Ring before opening Malfoy's.

Lucius' offer was similar to Nott's, only he described her duties as his need for a personal assistant. He pointed out that this job would give her direct access to him whenever she needed and introductions to other powerful wizards that could be useful for whatever career she planned to pursue.

As she opened Avery's letter, Ring leaned down and kissed her neck.

"Looks like you are in demand. I'll miss having you here." He told her as he plucked the last letter from her hand and pulled her out of the seat.

"I haven't decided who I'll accept." She pointed out as she wondered what Ring was up to.

"Well, then we should take advantage of this room while we still can. I'm sure you will have less time for me when you live with some rich wizard." He said as he moved to unbutton her robe.

"Nat." She gasped, trying to keep up his cover. She glared up at him even as he pushed her robe off her shoulders. She wanted to remind him with a look that someone could be watching them. She reached to grab her wand. She needed to ward the room before it went much further.

Ring pulled her hand back and whispered low in her ear. "I want the werewolf to watch me defile you."

"W-" She breathed as Ring continued to undress her. Was Lupin watching her today? She shivered as she remembered having a crush on the older man. She wondered what he would think of her now.

"Do you know how sexy you are?" Ring growled as he plucked at the rings on her nipples then swiftly turned her so that she had to brace herself on the desk.

"No." She gasped while she allowed him to pull her knickers down her legs. She wondered if Lupin would watch or if he would give them privacy.

She liked to think the man who had a wife and child wouldn't get off watching her and Ring, but the more she learned about the world, the less she expected from people.

"You are, and I'm not the only one who thinks so. Wanna see?" Ring asked, but before she could answer, he set a small mirror on the desk.

Instead of her reflection, the mirror showed her old professor sitting in another room. It seemed he had used some kind of spell to watch her through what appeared to be a solid wall on her side, but looked like a wide opening on his.

She moaned as Ring continued to play with her body, his hand settling between her thighs.

"Who knew you would be the type of dirty girl to like this kind of thing." He said as he pulled at her piercing.

Lupin suddenly got to his feet and started pacing in the reflection as he watched Ring bend her over the desk.

"You're cruel." Hermione whimpered, unable to take her eyes off the picture of the other man. It seemed there was a double standard, and  _ they _ were allowed to show her body off to other men even if she was not.

"You like it." Ring teased before pushing her down, so she had to rest on her elbows. He sank a single finger into her waiting core and hissed at how wet he found her already. "You really like it." He joked as he withdrew his hand so he could remove his belt and hopefully free his cock.

"Please?" She whimpered even as she watched Lupin get more and more agitated. She wondered if Ring had chosen their position because it was the way most werewolves mated.

He leaned over her as she could feel his hardened shaft teasing against her folds. "Are you going to howl for us?" He asked, answering her unasked question. "I'm going to take you until you scream, Hermione."

She shivered as she tried to angle her body so he would act on his promises. Her eyes were glued to the mirror as Lupin leaned in close to watch them. A thrill went through her as she considered what a pervert the man was being.

Ring grasped the back of her neck a moment later, his sheathed himself entirely inside her. "Oh. Yes." She whimpered, trying to work herself back against him. Lupin was watching them with balled fists and a rigid posture.

"You're just so ripe, Hermione." Ring hissed as he started to move with her hips. "Betting, they can  _ smell _ you for miles." He teased as he leaned over to watch the mirror while he ground himself against her. "Think he wants to rip me off and take his turn?" He asked, lowly. "Little pup at home, and he here is watching a girl young enough to be his daughter get fucked by her boyfriend."

"Stop." Hermione whimpered as he continued to put horrible images in her head. She closed her eyes as she wiggled under him.

"You don't want me to stop." Ring growled before nipping at her shoulder.

"She said, stop," Lupin growled, and they both looked up as he burst into the room. Hermione's first thought as she saw the broken door was that Lupin made a horrible spy.

Ring groaned as he was torn from Hermione, and before she could think, a blanket was thrown over her. Hermione blinked at the scene as Lupin had firmly put himself between her and Ring.

"Professor?" She found her voice and tried to seem surprised to see him even as she moved to hide the mirror from his view.

"When a woman says stop, that is the end of it," Lupin growled as Hermione considered what she had seen in the mirror in a new light. She blushed as he realized he had been fighting paternal instincts, Lupin hadn't been watching out of perverse desire, he was fighting his need to protect her from someone he saw as a threat.

"Sir?" She tried to get his attention again as she kept the blanket firmly around her front. "I didn't mean it like that. Nat and I…" she covered her mouth as she considered how to explain her sexual proclivities to a man who saw her as some kind of daughter figure.

"How did you even hear her?" Ring called him out, not one to miss an opportunity. "It wasn't like she was screaming for help."

"Professor?" She played along with the idea that she didn't know he had been spying on her.

"I…" Lupin trailed off as he realized the trap he had fallen into, but Hermione wasn't in the mood to let him off.

"You were spying on me for the Order? Does he really think I'm…" She knew what Dumbledore thought of her, but having to say it aloud made her throat close. "I need you both to leave," She said suddenly as she was not about to cry in front of Lupin, and she was no longer in the mood for Ring's company.

"Hermione you need to understand-"

"When a woman says stop, you stop." Ring used Lupin's own words against him as he motioned to the door. "Do you want me to check on you later, luv?" He asked, and it felt weird for him to call her that. She shook her head, not quite ready to speak.


	10. Almost Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

When Hermione finally got the chance to read over Avery's offer, it didn't take her long to decide who she would be choosing. One of the proposals would just be far more beneficial than the other two. Hermione decided to pack her things up and check out of the Inn before any of the Tom's could try and change her mind. She would show up at the man's door that night, ready to work.

She knew that it would be smarter to wait for Voldemort to join her so that they could explain the real situation, but Hermione wanted to see what her new boss already knew, and she couldn't do that with one of her many suitors at her back.

She asked Rosmerta to store her trunks until she called for them, and the woman was happy to accommodate for a fair price. When Hermione reached the large ornate gate, she could see the expansive grounds and large manor in the distance. The place screamed old money even more loudly than the now modest seeming Flint House.

The gate opened for her, and she took that as an invitation. She ambled up the gravel path as her stomach flipped. Twice she paused and fought the instinct to go back and retrieve at least one of her Toms to help her through what came next. She needed to do this one thing for herself.

The door opened before she could knock, and when she saw the old house-elf wrapped in a dirty dust cloth, she almost turned around once more. The creature stared up at her, saying nothing.

"I'm Hermione Granger, and I am here to see the Master of the house." She told them, and they nodded once before turning and walking away. Hermione blinked, unsure what to do until the creature stopped a few feet away and looked back as if it were waiting for her.

She swallowed hard before following them into the house, the large ornate door closed behind her, and it was tough for her not to jump at the sound.

She was led to a dark study where the Master of the house was sitting behind a large antique desk.

"Norry, no one called for you." The man said without looking up from his work.

"Norry brings the Granger twit," Norry said, and Hermione couldn't help but cover her mouth as Lucius looked up from his desk. He almost seemed panicked, interesting.

"Norry. Out." He ordered, pointing at a wall for all Hermione could tell. "Miss Granger, I must apologize, Norry is quite old and a little senile."

Hermione let her hands settle in front of her as she stepped into the dark but cozy space.

"I must admit I did not expect to hear from you so quickly. It seemed to me that you would exhaust all other options before coming to the right decision." He said, showing a bit of his old arrogance.

"It has been made quite clear to me that I do not have many other options." She said, taking a seat as he waved to a chair in front of his desk. "Only three out of the fifty letters I sent out came back with offers."

"That seems quite strange for a woman of your qualifications."

"But what are my qualifications?"

"What I understand, from my son, you are quite intelligent and organized, Miss Granger. You've beaten him out for top of your class every year since you started to attend school in the wizarding world, though that makes quite a bit more sense now."

"To someone like you, I'm sure it would, but I do want to make a few things clear before we start any sort of professional relationship. My politics have not changed simply because I've discovered I'm related to a bigot. I'm not interested in any marital connection with the house of Malfoy, and our relationship will not include physical touch of any kind."

"I must admit I had hoped this arrangement would permit a further opportunity to showcase my son's virtues. I know we have a past, but there are families with far less polite tactics than mine."

"I am aware." She told him dryly. "My politics don't bother you?"

"The misguided passion of youth? No. You will make a far too valuable ally once you learn how to play the game, Miss Granger. But I must warn you, an unattached pureblood woman of your talents is not exactly safe." He held up his hand to stay her comment. "It is not a threat Miss Granger, only an unfortunate truth. Every level of pureblood society will pursue you."

"I understand that and am willing to take my chances." She said, still not ready to reveal the fact she was already attached. "And you have no issues with my final stipulation? No touching, ever."

"I am thoroughly uninterested in you physically, Miss Granger. You are my son's age, and though I do know that many men in my situation would find that appealing, I personally find it distasteful."

She watched him as he spoke and was satisfied enough with his answer to continue. "With that part settled, you need to know a few things I left out of my letter."

"Oh?"

She took a slow breath. "I don't require rooming, or an actual Master for my Apprenticeship. What I do require is a job, someone to claim I'm living at their resistance, and someone to claim they acted as the Master of my education when I am ready to take the NEWTs."

"I know you are smart, Miss Granger, but a real Master would be helpful. You should take every advantage you are offered."

"I agree, Mr. Malfoy, and though I do feel you have things to teach me, another has offered to guide my education, and he is quite insistent that I live with him."

"Why won't this other wizard then also sign the required forms, and give you employment? Forgive me for saying, but it sounds like he wishes to take advantage of you, Miss Granger."

"Oh, he-" She was cut off as the door to the study was blasted off its hinges, and Voldemort himself settled into the study. "...enjoys making an entrance." She mumbled under her breath.

"My Lord?" Lucius was on his feet, and Hermione was pretty sure she was forgotten as the blond tried to figure out what he had done to warrant the Dark Lord's ire.

"You were supposed to wait so we could discuss this before you made a decision," Voldemort said, confusing Lucius even further.

"My Lord?" He confirmed her assumption. "I was going to recruit her as you asked, but this-"

"I decided on my own, and I wanted to see what you told him to get him to make the offer." Hermione interrupted now she knew exactly what she had set to find out. She turned to Malfoy next. "As I was saying, I am sure he plans to take advantage, but his name isn't quite something I can put on a form."

"And what exactly made you choose this one?" Voldemort moved in front of her and leaned over to rest his hands on her chair's arms.

"His offer to teach me to navigate the pureblood politics and society."

"Lucius?" The Dark Lord spoke as he reached up and stroked the side of her face even as he tried to use his larger form to intimidate her.

"My Lord?" Hermione almost laughed as she realized it was all he had said since Voldemort entered the room.

"This girl belongs to me. You will employ her as you have offered, but you have no further claim. Do I make myself clear?"

"You are to be her Master?" Lucius sounded gobsmacked.

"In many ways." Voldemort purred.

"Anything I can do to be of assistance, my Lord."

"You will keep a room here for her as if she is living with you, and you will make it, so she is free to Apparate there."

"I understand now, my Lord, we do not want her old Headmaster knowing where her true loyalty already is."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but Voldemort smiled. "I'm going to have my bags sent here; I'll retrieve them tomorrow."

"I will have them set in your new room."

"Let's go home, my little dove. I have missed you." The Dark Lord said before brushing his lips gently against hers. It felt odd to kiss him in front of anyone, but she opened her mouth and surrendered to him the way it seemed she always would.

She couldn't imagine what was going through Malfoy's mind as Voldemort drew her up out of the chair and into his arms. It was clear the Dark Lord was trying to make his earlier point crystal clear to the other man. She belonged to him.

"And Lucius…" He started as he drew back from her lips. "...If anyone outside this room discovers the truth, you will be blamed."

"Yes, my Lord, but don't you wish for your other followers to know to take care with the girl?"

"Too much of a risk to her reputation, she can take care of herself," Voldemort explained and whispered in Hermione's ear as he directed her towards the fireplace back in the front hall. "Riddle Compound."

Once they arrived in the big house's entry hall, Voldemort wrapped her in his arms once more. "We need to discuss your apprenticeship; I think my lab would be the best op-"

"Primary?" Diary interrupted Voldemort in a way none of his followers would ever consider. He stepped into the hall and gave Hermione the briefest of glances before turning back to his older self. "The project with Walden is ready." He said vaguely, and Hermione was sure it was to keep her in the dark.

"Now?" Voldemort hissed and pulled Hermione closer to his chest.

"Your plaything will be here upon your return; I'll even show it to its room." Diary offered dryly.

Hermione glared at him. She wondered then if Diary had somehow planned the timing so he would have a reason to be alone with her. But that seemed odd since he didn't seem to even remotely like her.

Voldemort sighed and kissed the top of her head after a moment. "Go with Diary and get some rest, we will talk in the morning." He promised as he let her go.

The moment he disappeared, Hermione looked back at Diary awkwardly and waited for him to make the first move.

"Your room is this way. You were there last time." He said as he turned towards the stairs.

"I figured that. Who decorated it?"

"It was furnished to reflect what they remembered of your preferences. No one would care if you wish to change anything. It is your space." He said, sounding bored. "Diadem took the liberty of placing a few informative books on your desk."

"He didn't want me to have them until I was here."

"None of us did. I think it folly to let you have them even now, but it would be just as foolish to allow you only to get second-hand information from Harry."

"Harry?" She smiled, curious why he seemed familiar with her friend, maybe he felt the connection with at least one of them as strong as the others.

"I enjoy the idea of Potter in our collective." He admitted as they approached her door. He turned back to her and opened it with a swift whip of his hand.

"But not me." She said, watching his reactions to her.

"I have yet to see the point of you. The others act as if your mind and body are a sumptuous treat. I've barely tasted either."

She looked into her room but made no move to enter as he still stood half in the way. "I don't know what to say to that."

"Nothing is required. I have been asked to inform you that within your room, you have been granted power. They have decided that it is a place where none of us may do a thing without your express permission. A place of rest and sanctuary for you."

"Oh." She blushed as she looked at the room with a new light. "That is very thoughtful."

"But you're going to give me permission to do whatever I like wherever I like." He deadpanned, making Hermione frown.

"Why would I do that?" She asked as she tried to push past him only to find the door warded. She turned to him and had her wand out in a flash. Her defensive spell was in a place just in time for his first attack.

Hermione moved back and narrowed her eyes at the boy. He gave her a cruel smile and tired a second. His spells were slow enough that she knew he was just playing with her.

"Is this necessary?" She asked as she lowered her guard to try and get a stunner on him. His spell hit her in the arm and burned like acid.

"No, but it is fun." He answered as she had to rip her sleeve off her robe before the spell did real damage to her skin. The loss of focus cost her, and she found herself slammed against the wall. He pinned Hermione there with the sheer force of his magic, and her heart raced as she thought about how much power it cost to do such a thing.

"Okay, you won." She said as she struggled to move her wand hand.

"I have, but your shield was strong. This game would have lasted longer if you had continued to play defense." He considered. "You're not very good at dueling."

Hermione blushed and looked away from him. "I've never been great at practical Defense." She admitted. It was the one class where both Harry and Ron had always outshined her. At least in the practical application portion.

"You have the power, just not the skill." He told her thoughtfully as he ran a finger over the still painful burn on her arm. If she didn't know better, she thought he sounded impressed. "Permit me to do whatever I like wherever I like, and I'll teach you to duel. With the correct kind of training, you could be deadly."

"You won't hurt me if I give you such open-ended permission?"

"Of course, I'll hurt you." He said, making it clear he thought her question was stupid, he pressed his thumb into her burn to make his point. "But I wouldn't do anything I couldn't heal. But you also have to promise not to tell the others how _ much _ I hurt you."

"You keep things from them?" She asked because she had gotten the since they all kept each other informed about everything.

"We all have our little secrets; I would just prefer not to have to deal with any of my others trying to shield you from me. We need to build our own relationship," Dairy said as he pet fingers down her cheek. "Don't you agree?"

"I think they will be very put out if you kill me." He only smiled at her maliciously.

"I promise not to break you past repair." He offered to prove his point; Diary healed her burned arm with what looked to be a simple spell.


	11. The Price of Knowledge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

"And you'll teach me how to duel properly?" She asked, his responding sharp smile looked as if it could cut her.

"Yes."

"And if I refuse, you will find the time and ways to punish me anyway."

"Of course. What other purpose do you have here?" He asked maliciously.

Hermione knew they were all sadistic and cruel, but she had always gotten the sense they delighted in the fact that she enjoyed their cruelty. Diary seemed different. She had a feeling he would push to find her every limit and then methodically eviscerate them.

"You have permission to do whatever you want to me, wherever you want to, for so long as you continue to genuinely teach me to duel."

"Fair enough." He said as his face only lit while he looked down the length of her body. Without warning, he pushed her to her knees hard and laughed as he pulled her head back by her hair.

"Not my room?" She asked because hadn't that been the point of her promise. He didn't want her to have a sanctuary from him.

"No little slut. You're going to get me hard right here in the hall. Do you think any of them will even question it if they see us?"

Hermione shook her head as she looked up at him.

"I think for the sake of my privates will have to work on your resistance first." He spoke mostly to himself. "Just know if I even feel teeth, I'll break your arm and only repair it after I've finished."

"I wouldn't-" Hermione started before his spell hit her, locking her jaw shut in pain. It wasn't like the cruciatus, where her blood seemed to betray her. This spell felt more like she had a full-body charlie horse.

"I'll lift the spell as soon as you can relax your jaw," Diary promised as he pressed his thumb against the front of her teeth to test her ability.

Hermione took in slow breaths as she tried to fight the spell. It was not all-encompassing pain, but then she considered what he had said about working on her resistance, and she knew that he would use worse on her once he thought she was ready.

"Everyone says you are powerful and, yet you make me wait for something so simple?" He mocked as he pulled on her hair so she would look up into his eyes. "Relax your jaw before I get bored with you and start being mean."

She read the truth of his words in his expression and took a few more rapid breaths before she focused on the muscle that kept her mouth closed. There was no way to move past the pain or make it any less intense. Hermione forced herself to open her mouth a little at a time and then close it again until she had it entirely at her control.

"Better." Diary lifted the spell, which left her gasping. "I'll give you rest, and then you will use your mouth to make me hard."

"You're going to use that on me again when I do." She said as she tried to relax her stiffness that was caused by the prolonged spell.

Diary let go of her hair so he could unzip his slacks; it seemed she was not going to get much of a rest. "Oh, did you expect an answer to your stupid question?" He asked contemptuously.

"No." She said as she worked to focus on what would come next.

" _ Good girl _ ." He said in a tone that sounded nothing like Diadem. "Do your job." He ordered as he pulled out his limp member.

Hermione blushed as she felt herself salivate. How was it that this harsh treatment from a man who had little respect for her was stimulating? Diadem has it was because she trusted them, but Diary was making his disregard for her clear. Did she trust him?

"Do I have to tell you again, Hermione?" He hissed, and she quickly shook her head before taking his length in her hand and lapping at the tip.

Her whole body was poised for the pain she knew was coming, but it wasn't until she wrapped her lips around the head that he cast the spell once more. Hermione quickly wrapped her lips around her teeth as her body jerked. It took her a moment to force herself to move through the pain, but it seemed Dairy was slightly more patient now that she was directly pleasuring him.

He hardened quickly at her attention, but Hermione was not so arrogant to think it was because of any sort of skill she showed. His arousal was entirely due to the fact that he was forcing her to defile herself even as he tortured her.

Once he was fully aroused, he pulled her off and ended the spell a moment later. Hermione whimpered as she wanted to curl into a ball with embarrassment. Had that been remotely worth the knowledge and skill he could impart to her?

"Do you think we are done?" He asked as he nudged her with his foot. "We're just getting started."

Hermione swallowed and forced herself back onto her knees so she could look up past his hardened length.

"What else do you want from me?" She asked before taking a moment to wet her mouth.

"You may start by referring to me as your God while we are  _ playing _ ." He said as he looked down at her with malicious glee.

"Of course." Calling him by whatever name he wanted wouldn't bother her in the least. "God." She added, it sounded awkward to her, but it seemed to please him.

"On your feet." He ordered and stepped back to give her space to rise. Once she was standing, he turned her to face her room then pushed her into the solid ward. "Brace yourself in your elbows and present your little bum."

Hermione shifted onto her elbows and rested her head on her hands as she looked through the invisible barrier. She had a bad feeling about the position but arched her back to push her arse towards him all the same.

"Legs apart." He said, kicking at her feet.

"Now what should I do with you. From this position, I could just shag you, or I could bugger you." He pointed out as he pulled her robe up over her hips to expose frilly blue lace. "What would you like more, Hermione?"

"Does it matter, my God?" She asked breathlessly. She wasn't about to answer a question that would only give him room to hurt her more.

"I think you'll get off no matter what I do to you." He said as he pulled her knickers down to her knees. "You're quite slick for a woman who was just tortured." He pointed out as he quickly pushed two fingers into her core.

Hermione closed her eyes as she worked not to react to his teasing. "I see why they think you were made for us." He conceded as he slowly pumped his fingers inside of her thoughtfully.

"I like pain." She gasped as her hips started to move back against his hand.

"So do I." He agreed as he pulled his hand away from her. "I'll make you a deal, Hermione, if you come before I do, I'll let you keep your little sanctuary." He offered as he wiped his fingers on her back.

"And if you come first?" She asked, not thinking she had much of a choice.

"Then, I am going to go into your sweet little mind, find your very blackest desire, and make it come true. I will turn this  _ sanctuary _ into a nightmare."

Hermione frowned and shook her head. "Why not find something I don't want?" She asked, trying to figure out his angle.

"These things are much worse when we enjoy them, aren't they Hermione?" He said as she felt him using magic to prepare her arse.

"Yes." She nodded as she realized the truth; it was harder to sort when she liked what he did to her. She wondered why he bothered with allowing her lubrication; maybe he just didn't want to damage her where the others would discover his game. Did she even have a chance of coming from what he had planned for her?

Diary did not bother with the slow and patient thrust Ring had used to allow her body to stretch around him. He drove himself inside her rear, and Hermione worked hard not to clinch, which would only hurt more.

"Tell me, Hermione…" Dairy groaned as his hands settled on her hips. "...do you like this pain?" He asked as he started to take her ass with an unforgiving rhythm.

She whimpered at the sound of her name. How did he always make it sound like an insult or a curse? She focused on what she liked about the feel of him inside her. She was powerless to stop him, but she was determined to reach her peak before he did.

Her breaths were shallow and quick as she tried to answer. "Yes." She admitted, which only made him take her more roughly.

"Good." He praised, "So then you will love this." He added a moment before the pain spell hit her once more.

"Shit." She groaned, making him laugh as he did not even slow down.

"You just got so much tighter." He joked as she worked to find her peak. She needed to let herself be deprived enough to find release to spite his cruelty. Or was she already far gone enough that she could make herself get off on it?

"Please, God?" She begged as her body clenched around the air. She wanted to touch herself but feared she would fall without the proper balance. It wasn't like she could trust him to keep her standing.

"Do you need something, Hermione?" He hissed in pleasure as she felt him pulse inside of her.

"More, please?" She whimpered as she gritted her teeth and let the wave of release build.

"More? Can you even handle any more you dumb little slag? I'll give you more!" He laughed as he released the cramping spell. Hermione let out a breath of relief before Diary leaned against her, and she felt his wand on her neck. " _ Crucio _ ." He whispered before her eyes went wide.

As her body filled with liquid pain and she tensed and whimpered. Her vision went white with as she felt as if she was falling as a rush of something unrecognizable overtook her limps. She blacked out to find herself panting on the floor of her room as Diary wanked himself above her. She trembled on the ground with weird anxiety and pain, but that seemed to do nothing to stop him as he came on her face and hair.

"You win." He angrily growled and spat on her as he fixed his clothes.

"W-what?"

Diary crotched by her side and pulled her head up to look at him through his seed. "You, my little bitch, just reached orgasm from the Cruciatus of all things. How does it feel to be the very most deviant witch I have ever met?"

Hermione closed her eyes and resisted the urge to wipe her face. She knew he needed to debase her as much as possible to feel better about losing their bet.

"I admit it is going to be fun to see how very warped you are." He dropped her head then and stepped over her as he left her room. "This is the last time I will enter this space." He agreed before just leaving her in a heap.

Hermione didn't have the metal fortune to move from the spot where he left her; she thought maybe she drifted off right there in her doorway because the next thing she knew, another of the younger Toms was kneeling at her side and wiping her face.

"Would you like to sleep in my room tonight, beasty?" He asked, and his voice sounded calm compared to what she had just grown used to. Hermione bit her bottom lip and nodded up at Cup. She realized his brand of dominance was absolutely what she needed.

She gave no resistance as he took and gave her a hot bath, with pretty smelling oils and lotions he had used before. He dried her by hand with a warm towel and braided her hair in a loosely back from her face.

He sat Hermione on his lap after that and read by the fire as she just dozed in his arms. A pet who was treasured, but did not need to think or act or speak. She drifted off to sleep in his arms.

The next day she woke enveloped in a soft white cloud. Cup was smiling down at her, and she lazily sat up as she tried to understand where she was. It took her longer than she would have liked to admit to realize that she was laying in an oversized pet bed. Something she had seen many people use for cats and dogs, but this had been made just for her. Somehow she was not surprised by the shape, but she was surprised by how comfortable it was.

"How long have I slept?" She asked as she let Cup help her to her feet.

"It's only seven. Would you like to eat your breakfast here or go down to the dining room?"

Hermione brushed her fingers over the collar Cup must have slipped on her after her bath.

"I'd like to find my room and some clean clothes." She said, unsure where she was in the house.

"Ah, well, that would be in the main house." He said with a smirk. "But I collected some for you last night," He brushed fingers back in her hair. "Get dressed; I am sure the Primary is eager to speak with you."

When Hermione entered the big house's dining room, she couldn't help but take in the image before her. Voldemort sat at the end of the table, with three younger versions of himself. Cup was just behind her, which made four. The only Horcrux they were missing was Diadem, and Harry if she were counting everyone.

"Come sit in my lap, little dove." Voldemort offered as he moved out from the table slightly. "We have a lot to discuss."

"I would rather have my chair if it is all the same to you? It is hard to focus when any of you are that close." She admitted as she took the seat at the other end of the long table.

"It is probably smart to try and keep your head about you. Would you like to discuss the Apprenticeship now, or wait for privacy?" He asked as he motioned to the other parts of himself.

"I have the feeling there is little that would stay between us." Hermione shook her head as he served herself some eggs and toast. "You already know what I want and need from the Apprenticeship, what would you want from me?"

"I will require you to get an O on every NEWT you decide to take. I will not be a lenient teacher."

"Is that all?" She asked as the demand made her nervous, but what could she say? It was something she demanded from herself.

"You will meet with me to study three times a week at times that are convenient for me. You will complete any assignment I give you in a timely fashion no matter what you think of it."

"I won't be hurting anyone for you." She said firmly, but he waved her concern away. "What is all of this going to cost?"

"I will require two forms of payment from you. The first is that you will, on occasion, act as my lab assistant as needed. I don't care what Lucius requires of you; my needs come first."

"And the second?"

"Your nights after each lesson belong to me to do with as I see fit."

"I'm still not hurting anyone else." She repeated firmly.

"So, I'm allowed to make you hurt yourself?" He asked, sounding amused.

"And I'll hurt you, but only if you ask very nicely," Hermione offered, willing herself not to blush. Nearly everyone gave her a mirrored, hungry look that made Hermione want to slink down into her chair. She needed to stop being so mouthy with them, it never seemed to have the desired effect, or did she want them to devour her alive?


	12. Boundaries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

It was a bit of a relief to have somewhere she needed to be after breakfast because Hermione wasn't sure if she had the constitution to live up to the evident hunger in her lovers' eyes just then. She took the floo to Malfoy Manor needing to see 'her room' before she felt safe enough to travel directly there.

As she stood in the entrance hall, she started to feel nervous again. Lucius was the first person to witness her with Voldemort. Draco knew about their connection, but she had never seen how she reacted to the one so many saw as a monster.

She reminded herself she didn't care what the man thought of her. His opinion ranked somewhere below actual mud in the things about which she cared. So why was her heart racing as she heard footsteps approach?

The moment Norry saw her, they just turned and headed towards the study. Hermione assumed she was supposed to follow. The elf didn't seem interested in talking to her directly, so Hermione respected that choice.

The elf opened the door to the same study and stepped in. "The Granger Twit is heres to work." They announced before heading off down the hall.

Hermione swallowed as he stepped into the study. She found that a second, much smaller desk has been set up in the furthest corner from his. She assumed it would be her workspace, so she walked over to it to give herself something on which to focus.

"Miss Granger, I feel we need to deal with the Erumpent in the room before we can move on with our day." He said, but Hermione couldn't bring herself to look at him.

"Maybe that is for the best." She agreed as she fiddled with a quill she found on the desk and then moved behind it to set up her things.

"The Dark Lord will be teaching you, and we will be claiming it is I who have taught you." It seemed he wanted to start by stating facts.

"Correct."

"You are now living in whatever hideaway he has been residing in since he left my residence?"

"We are cohabitating; I'm unclear how long he has lived there."

"Fair. May I ask how long you've known the Dark Lord so…" He paused, and when she turned to look at him finally, it was clear he was struggling with the right word.

"I'm bound by an Unbreakable Vow not to share any of the Dark Lord secrets. Which means I can't tell you how long I've known him personally. But that isn't what you want to know. What you want to know is if his claim on me is as physical as he made it seem yesterday."

"Yes. exactly." Lucius looked relieved. "Miss Granger, I need to know how seriously you are attached to him. He's had lovers before but never ones quite like you."

"Oh?" He had her full attention after that little pearl. Tom always made it seem that he had spent decades just thinking about her.

"My sister-in-law was the last of them about which I know." He explained as he realized she was interested. "She was always quite mad, but a brilliant witch."

"His lovers tend to be mad?" She asked, trying to figure out the qualification she didn't fit.

"Correct. From what I have witnessed, The Dark Lord's physical desires are quite unkind." He said carefully. "You have never struck me as someone willing to…" He was at a loss for words once more. She imagined Lucius wasn't the most adventurous lover.

Hermione frowned as she tried to figure out how to ask the question which popped into her head. "With your sister-in-law, was he unapologetically cruel?" She thought that maybe the way Diary treated her was how Voldemort managed women who were not her.

"Exactly. You did not seem like the type of young woman who would stand for such a thing."

"He's different when he is with me." She said because, for the most part, he was, his cruelty was usually pointed with her pleasure.

"Small of frame, but you have curves. Whip-smart and abundantly powerful. You even have similar hair." He mumbled to himself softly. "She was also as vicious as he is, if not more so."

"You're saying I look like her?" Hermione choked out. She had been all set to rub Voldemort's ex in his face as soon as she got back to the Compound, but the idea died with Lucius' description. It sounded like he had found a stand-in for her while he waited for Hermione to be ready.

Her heart started to race, and she felt a little light-headed. Was it possible the man had been waiting for her for fifty years? She had accepted his attention and desire, but had she ever believed that he had actually written the play of his life around the moment he could be with her again?

"Are you quite well, Miss Granger?"

"Do you know what a panic attack is?" She asked as she rolled the pen between her fingers while trying to focus on the feel of it and nothing else. "It is a sudden episode of intense fear or anxiety, based on a perceived threat rather than imminent danger. It had physical symptoms such as-"

"Miss Granger?" Lucius interrupted, he looked like he wanted to shake her, but he kept himself firmly across the room. "Something I've said has upset you, but you need not worry. Bellatrix is firmly in Azkaban, and the Dark Lord has no plans to retrieve her."

"Bellatrix Lestrange is married." She said as the new information stunted her out of her panic spiral. She didn't need to think about how very over her head, she was with the dark wizard and all his little pieces.

Lucius laughed. "I am well aware."

"Her husband was also a Death Eater." She said as if he didn't understand her point.

"Do you think the Dark Lord cares for vows made to anyone up himself?"

Hermione flushed and shook her head. "No, I don't think he does."

"I have one more question for you, Miss Granger, before we can get on with our dar."

"Oh?"

"Have you accepted the Mark?"

"The Dark Mark? No." She shook her head. She couldn't think of a reason she would ever let him do that to her.

"Good. One less thing to worry about when trying to keep your cover. Though it does have its benefits."

"It does more than just let you call him or know when he is calling you?" She asked as she stepped towards him. Hermione was always curious about new magic.

"You'll have to ask him." He waved her question away. "Today, you'll mostly just be getting acquainted with the laws and causes that I support, though I do have a meeting with Fudge at three at which I will need you to take notes. Miss Granger, you will be silent at any meeting you attend unless you are asked a question directly." He said firmly. "I know you do not agree with my politics, but I also can't have you undermining my positions. Can you be professional?"

Hermione took a slow breath. She could either work for this man now and be indifferent to those he might try to hurt or spend the rest of her life completely at Voldemort's pleasure.

"I can be professional." She said and nodded as she reminded herself what she was there to learn.

"Good. This stack here is for you to start reading. I am here if you have any questions." He said as he motioned to a pile on his desk.

The morning went smoothly as she collected her stack of papers and started to read each carefully. Norry brought them lunch, but it didn't stop either from working. It surprised her that not everything Lucius was working on was entirely awful. A tiny portion of his causes she would consider supporting with more research.

"Time to go, Miss Granger." He said when she was about a third of the way through the stack. "You can leave all that here." Hermione nodded and collected her things to get ready to leave.

"I've been considering something you may find distasteful, Miss Granger, but I feel the need to speak to the Dark Lord before we make any commitment."

"What is that?" She carefully asked as she followed him out towards the entrance hall to floo to the Ministry.

"It might be wise to make it seem as if I have taken you as my Mistress."

"What? Why? You said you wer-"

"Miss Granger, I have been considering two problems. You need to seem at least to be in some stable relationship with someone powerful enough that the common wizard would not wish to mess with them."

Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"I've learned about the kidnapping, Miss Granger, and something like that could easily happen again. Worse, one of my fellow Death Eaters could decide to try and gain favor with the Dark Lord by subduing you in some way."

"I don't need protecting."

"I am known for my discretion; it will be perfectly plausible that I do not touch you in public, and we will still be able to make people believe out lie."

"Definitely smart to talk to the Dark Lord before you do anything with that plan." She agreed, but she still didn't like it.

"There are some that will think it without any help from us." He added as he paused in front of the large fireplace. "Why else would I consider taking you in and making you my Apprentice?"

She shook her head before stepping through the fireplace and heading to the Ministry. Once there, she got to witness Lucius' charm first hand and in a whole new light. He wielded power and influence like a surgeon using a scalpel, only putting enough pressure to cut what he wanted without harming anything around his target. It was a thing of beauty if she wanted to give him honest credit.

On the way to Fudge's office, he had three other short conversations that he seemed to have time perfectly, and all turned in the direction he desired. Hermione found it hard not to stare gape-mouthed at the man she had always considered a bit ridiculous. By watching him, she realized what Draco attempted to be, but fell far short of his father's skill.

When they got to the reception area for the Minister of Magic's office, Hermione only then remembered that she might run into one of her Toms. She worked very hard not to react as Lucius didn't even bother with the young man's name.

"Ah, yes, Mr. Malfoy." Locket rose reverently and even bowed his head. "Forgive me, but I haven't retrieved the files for your meeting with the Minister. He is ready for you, but would you mind sparing your assistant to help me retrieve them?"

Lucius looked over at her questioningly, and Hermione just shrugged. Her being alone with Locket would in no way endanger either of them.

"Hurry back." He said with a nod and let himself into the office without a glance back.

Locket was careful not to seem friendly with her as they walked the short way down the hall towards the file room. Once inside, on the other hand, he locked the door and had her pressed against a cabinet before she could open her mouth.

"Did you want something?" She asked as if she had no idea who he was.

"Two things." He said as he brushed fingertips over her bottom lip. "First, I need to know if the fool touched you in any way," He nearly hissed. "I don't like the idea of you spending so much time with him."

"My work area is well away from his; it is clear Mr. Malfoy knows when to keep his hands to himself. Was that all you wanted?"

"Second, and more importantly, by my calculations, I'm the only one who hasn't been inside of you. I don't appreciate being last, how do you think you can make that up to me?"

She bit her bottom lip as she felt his fingers trace down to her neck. "You're not last; Harry's never been inside of me." She pointed out as her breath started to quicken.

"Hasn't he? Humm, Diadem was sure you two had gotten better acquainted."

"Nice to know the gossip is alive and well. Can I get back to work now?"

He squeezed her neck just a little as if he was considering it.

"I'll tell you what, if I feel your sweet little quim and you aren't already ready for me, you can go right into the meeting. But if you are as slick as I imagine I'm going to-"

"Oh, just shut up and fuck me." She breathed; Hermione wasn't going to win that bet, so what was the point of trying?

"Did you just tell me to shut up?" He asked, amused as his hold on her neck tightened.

"You all talk way too much." She said, having too much fun to stop herself. "Careful, how would I explain the bruises to Lucius?"

"It's Lucius now?" He hissed as his hold tightened. She was going to bruise, and he didn't seem to care.

"Seriously?" She rolled her eyes as she put her hand on his. She was already having trouble breathing. "If you're going to be like that, you can get the fuck off." She snapped as she took short breaths. "We need to get to that meeting anyway."

"Don't want to play today, little dove?" He pulled something out of his pocket.

"I want to do well at this job." She countered and frowned as he slipped whatever he had over her head. "What are you doing?" She felt something settle on her breastbone.

"This is me." He told her lightly right before the chain tightened enough to press against her skin.

"Locket?" She questioned as her hand moved up the restriction.

"Shhh. Don't worry, little dove; it's just going to get tight enough to make your breathing labored. Just tight enough to make everything I do to you that much better." He promised both his hands were free to push up the hem of her robe.

She tugged at the chain as she looked into her eyes. "Is this a punishment?" She asked as it tightened enough to be painful.

"Stop, Hermione." He soothed and pulled her fingers away from the thing strangling her. "Stop," Locket ordered more firmly and held her eyes. "It's me; it won't hurt you as long as you give it what it wants."

"It wants?" She asked, and she could feel the necklace loosen just a little the moment her hands were pulled away. She still didn't feel as if she could fill her lungs.

"Just relax Hermione, you're going to like this." He kissed a trail around where the necklace cut into her. "And I get to hold your life in my hands." He shuddered against her.

"I don't-" She whimpered into his kiss as he lifted her hips to meet his own. She could feel his shaft running against her core and wrapped her legs around his waist.

"When you come here in the future, you're going to be a good girl and not wear anything that would get in my way." He hissed as she heard the seam of her knickers snap with one firm yank from his hand.

Hermione couldn't decide if she was afraid or aroused, and she felt that was a problem that only grew with each new Tom she shagged.

"Locket?" Her head felt fuzzy, but he was correct that the way he ground against her was already sending shocks of need up her spine. "Please I need-"

"Shhh. Just relax and enjoy it. Don't you trust me, my little dove." He covered her mouth as he drove himself inside of her, and she let out a cry against his palm.

It felt good, but she needed to start setting limits with them. They couldn't just have her anyway they wanted her any time they wanted. This sort of relationship usually included two-way communication and consent. Why was her body so eager to take anything they had to give?

Hermione's climax hit her without warning, and he let her bite his hand so she wouldn't scream as she shook and saw stars. She could feel the necklace loosen as he continued to thrust into her fluttering core. He came a few moments later.

It had been quick, but she couldn't deny how good it had felt. Once Locket pulled the necklace off her, she reached up and touched the welt forming in her neck.

"Was that necessary?" She asked as she pulled her wand; she needed to start practicing some healing magic.

"Shhh, shhh." He stopped her with a hand to her wrist. "I'll glamor it for now," He ran his wand over what she assumed was an angry red mark.

"I need you all to stop doing this." She murmured, and she leaned back against the cabinet.

"You liked it." He pointed out as he helped fix her robe and waited for her to be steady on her feet.

"I need you all to start understanding that just because you make me like it, doesn't mean I want it." She breathed as she pushed herself to her feet. "I'm willing to explore…" She ran her fingers over where she still felt the mark on her neck. "Whatever that was. But we are never doing this here again." She said firmly.

He narrowed his eyes at her as if he was about to fight her assertion. She placed her hand over his mouth. "Never." She repeated firmly as she looked right back into his eyes.

He took a slow breath and reached for a stack of files on top of the cabinet she had her leaning against. "I'll tell them you needed the loo, so you can have a few minutes to recover." He offered, and she shook her head.

"I'm fine." She forced herself to walk out of the room without showing any sign of their tryst.

The meeting was quite dull compared to the interlude in the closet, but the more Hermione thought about it, the more she knew she needed to start laying down boundaries. If she allowed the men in her life to devour her whole, no one would be happy in the end.

As they passed by Lockets's desk on the way out, he cleared his throat. "Miss Granger, I was meant to give this to you." Locket said as he pulled out a box. "The paperwork is here; the portkey becomes active Friday at eight pm. The prison doesn't open to visitors until noon the next day, but I took the liberty of planning accommodations."

"What?" She asked as she took the box, careful not to brush Locket's hand as he passed it to her.

"Your request to visit the prisoner at Nurmengard has been approved. These are the arrangements that have been made to ensure your safety as a citizen of Wizarding Britain."

"Oh." She flushed and smiled at him as if she knew exactly what he was talking about. "I didn't think it would be seen so quickly." She added as she noticed Malfoy watching her. Someone back on the Compound was going to die. Did they have to control every aspect of her life? "Thank you." She nodded once but glared at Locket, so he knew they were all in trouble.


	13. Safeword

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Hermione was not surprised to find that Voldemort and all the Horcruxes was decided to attend dinner that night, but that suited her plans just fine. That way, she wouldn't have to repeat herself, or the message wouldn't be obscured in any way by second-hand delivery.

Without taking her seat, Hermione slammed the portkey next to her plate just in case there was someone who wasn't giving her their full attention.

"This stops now." She said as her hand went to the red line now clear on her throat. "You all can't manage my life for me, and I need some boundaries from what feels like a constant wave of sexual attention. There are six of yo-"

"Seven," Ring pointed out.

"Eight until the younger Primary returns home," Locket added.

"Harry already understands personal boundaries." Hermione cut in, but she did consider Tom for a moment. "I'll have to talk to Tom separately, but he doesn't have the everyday access to me that you all do now."

"What exactly are you upset about, Beasty?" Cup asked, and six sets of eyes all looked at her expectantly. Not a single one, not even Diadem, seemed to understand the problem.

"I'm not an extension of you all. I'm my own person, and you need to stop treating me like I'm a pet." Cup's jaw tightened, and Hermione sighed. "All I'm saying is that having my room as a sanctuary when I need it is a good start. But I also want a safeword. Something I can say, and you all will respect that even if you can make me want it, I need some control over when you dominate me."

Hermione watched as six expressions closed off from her as each man considered what she was asking for. But they were all the same man in a lot of ways, and she figured they would come to the same conclusion.

"And Harry should get one too." She added as she realized he was in a very similar situation, even if he liked the idea of dominating her, she was sure that all these men planned to dominate him.

"You want to have a word that you can use to shut down any sexual attention we may wish to give you at any given moment?" Diadem was the first to speak as if they all needed clarification.

"Yes. That includes prearranged sexual attention because sometimes things happen, and I need to make you all understand when I am not emotionally ready for you. You must understand how intense any one of you is. If I allow us to keep going the way we have been since my return from the past, you will break me. You will change me into something else that I don't want to be, and I don't think you want me to be."

"What would this magical word be?" Locket asked curiously as they all considered her thoughts. In most of their eyes, she could see that they took her ideas seriously and were not dismissing her out of hand.

"In any normal relationship, the word would be 'stop,' but that word I think just ignites you all the more. So I've considered a concept that will make sure to deter you. Love. If I say, Love, it means I need you all to stop whatever you are doing."

She took slow breaths to keep herself from blushing at the approval she saw in many of the faces that looked back at her.

"Then there is the meddling. I did not ask a single one of you to get me this." She placed her hand on top of the portkey. "I'm not sure if I'm ready to talk to that man, and none of you had the right to make these plans for me."

"And we were all wondering who you wished to take with you." Locket said with a smile. "The accommodations are for two, and we figured you wouldn't want to do that alone. Did you want to cancel?"

"You were going to let me choose who I wished to take?" She received several nods.

"We can cancel if you're not ready," Locket repeated.

"N-no." Hermione narrowed her eyes on him. "But I also don't like you trying to manipulate me into doing what you want. What do all of you get out of me meeting my grandfather?"

"All we are interested in is confirmation, little dove," Voldemort says as he tries to play reasonable. "In time, it will become important that we are sure of your lineage."

"Why?"

The group looked at each other as if they had to decide if they were going to reveal some new and horrible part of their plan to her.

"A politician needs to know every skeleton the press may uncover." Diadem explained.

"A politician? You all expect me to go into politics? Have you never considered that you are the worst of my skeletons?"

"We've considered it for a while, and it is the career you are best suited for. A place you would have the ability to make the most change" Cup smiled at her.

"This is my exact point. None of you get to decide what work I go into!" She slammed her hand on the table. How did she always feel like she was being overly dramatic in front of them? How was it that most of them stayed calm when confronted with her wrath? "I'm not hungry." She finally said and turned to leave.

When Friday came, Hermione still hadn't decided if she was going to go through with it. She had spent the week avoiding them all as much as she could. She stayed mostly in her room when she was home and started to study the Horcrux books left for her.

They were each made with amazingly self-destructive and pretty horrible magic. They were each a scarred piece of Tom's soul, and Hermione wasn't sure what that would do to a person. As far as she could tell, most who attempted the magic made a single Horcrux, but Tom had made six. It was a wonder any of them could function as lucidly as they did.

Then she considered the fact that, by the information in the books, none of them should be walking around beings with wills of their own. Horcruxes were items that one placed the soul shards into. They were not literal versions of oneself. Either they had purposefully not given her the book she needed to understand fully, or Voldemort had done some new trick of magic. Both options were annoying and a bit frightening.

When a soft knock sounded at her door, Hermione discovered it was almost seven-thirty. If she planned to go on the trip to Austria, she needed to get herself ready.

"Who is it?" She asked as she set her book aside and got to her feet. She wished she had muggle clothes left; she suddenly wanted to wear them tomorrow if she went to meet the bigot.

"Harry." The voice warmed her, and Hermione rushed to the door to open it so she could wrap herself around her friend. "How are you here?" She breathed and kept him close.

His arms were warm and secure around her, and she found herself burying her face in his chest. "Diadem brought me; he said you needed a friend." He told her softly as he allowed her to cling to him. "I can't imagine how intense it must be being around so many of them all the time."

"Oh, Harry." She whimpered and started just shaking with tears. She hadn't realized how much she needed her best friend just then. "Can you come with me?" She suddenly asked if she was going to take anyone for mortal support; he was the only one that made any sense.

"Where?" Harry asked, so they must not have told him.

Hermione sniffled and took a step back as she wiped her eyes. "I'm going to see my grandfather." She decided at that moment if Harry could join her, she would go. "But I have to go overnight so I can see him tomorrow." She added and just then realized Harry had an overnight bag in his hand.

"H-how?"

"Diadem arranged it. He said you would need me."

Hermione sighed and let her head thump back against her friend's chest. Of course, this had always been their plan. Why would any of them go to support her if they could send someone with a fully working soul?

"She is going to need this." Hermione's grasp on Harry's shirt tightened as she hears Diary's voice, and something was passed between the two men. "The Portkey returns tomorrow at three pm."

Even though those around the same age when they were made have similar voices, their inflections are off just enough that Hermione had started to be able to tell who was talking. As she recognized Diary as the one speaking, she also realized he didn't sound nearly as cold as he always did with her.

"Thanks," Harry said carefully even as he held Hermione close. "Are you ready to go? When does the portkey leave?" He opened the box as she stepped back from him once more.

"It is supposed to activate at eight." She explained and noted they only had about ten minutes. How long had she been crying in her friend's arms?

Hermione nodded to herself before she rushed around to stuff what she would need for a weekend into a small beaded bag she had enchanted for short trips. She let herself focus on the logistics of getting ready, and Harry knew her enough not to ask too many questions.

When they arrive at the accommodations the Ministry, or rather Locket, arranged for them, they found they have been put up in a posh wizarding Inn located in the heart of Vienna. The room was absolutely luxurious, and Hermione got a sudden bad feeling that it was a setup.

"Are you starting to get the feeling they've sent us away on a romantic weekend?" Harry sighed as he set his bag down on the large bed.

"I think that may be exactly what they had in mind." Hermione agreed and rolled her eyes. "But I just want to sleep." She added as she didn't want to get her friend's hopes up.

"That's fine." Harry looked back at her. "I'll change in the bathroom." He headed towards another door.

"Pajamas." Hermione groaned.

"What?" He asked as he didn't understand the problem.

"I don't own any."

"Do I want to know what happened to all your nightgowns?" He asked, confused and weary.

"You can't figure it out?" Hermione asked as she worked not to blush.

He took in a slow breath as he digested at what she was hinting. "I've got a quidditch jersey you can wear." Harry offered as he started to dig in his bag.

"You are the best." Hermione bounced over to him and kissed his cheek as she took the soft shirt. It would cover the most important bits of her, and she loved him all the more for coming up with a solution so quickly instead of taking advantage.

After they had both changed, Hermione slipped into the bed as she tugged at the lower hem of his shirt. She had a feeling it was going to ride up her body in the night, but the bed was large enough that they each had plenty of space.

"Thank you for understanding." She yawned as she heard Harry slip into the other side.

"Do you think I expected something, Hermione?" He asked, and he sounded concerned. "You can tell me if they're not treating you right."

Hermione turned onto her side so she could look at her friend. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and she guessed she had stolen his pajama top. Her eyes trailed over the wiry muscles of his arms and the top of his chest.

"They're just who they are. I've started to work on-" A wide yawn broke into Hermione's speech. "We both need to make clear boundaries with them if we are serious."

"Diadem told Tom and me about the safe word thing and that you suggested I have one too."

Hermione nodded sleepily. The week had been too stressful. Now that she was so close to the end, safe in a bed with her best friend, her body decided the best thing to do was shut down.

"I think it will be important for both of us. How did Tom take it?" She asked sleepily.

"He took it in stride with how Diadem explained it was a part of keeping us fit for them. But what is your safeword with me?" He asked in a whisper. "Because I love you already Hermione, so that word doesn't-"

"Do I need a safeword with you?" Hermione asked as she forced her eyes open. He was looking at her so seriously. "Stop won't work?"

Harry licked his lips as he looked over at her. "I've had fantasies where it wouldn't." He flushed to admit the darker parts of himself. "Where I want you to say stop just to push you a little further and make you thank me for it."

Hermione gave him a little smile. "During that kind of play. Why don't I just say safeword." She laughed because it would be the easiest thing for either of them to remember.

"Okay." He agreed before he moved across the bed just to place a soft kiss on her nose. "Just remember that I love you, even if we are just discovering that it's in more ways than we originally thought."

Hermione smiled up at him and swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "I love you too, Harry." She whispered before she leaned up to kiss him softly on the lips.


	14. Many Bad Ideas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Even though Harry retreated to his side of the bed after a few soft kisses, Hermione woke the next morning with a warm body wrapped around her. She snuggled back against the familiar smell of her friend and didn't feel a bit weird when she felt his morning erection rub against her butt.

They had been so careful not to start anything romantic or sexual the night before, and now she couldn't think of a reason to move from her place in his arms. She was safe with Harry, no matter how turned on he might be.

"Morning." He said drowsily. For a moment, neither of them said anything; they just basked in the warmth and comfort they could share.

"What time are we going to the prison?" He asked as his fingers brushed over the skin of her stomach lightly. A small part of Hermione realized his shirt had bunched up around her chest, but she still didn't care.

"Visiting starts around noon." She told him lazily. She just wanted to be warm for a little longer.

Harry leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her neck. "It's only six." He told her softly, and she could feel his body tense as he waited for her reaction. He was asking permission to take things further.

"You realize that if we do anything, we are just playing into their Master Plan?" Hermione asked with a smile even as she wiggled her butt against him.

"That is true. And from what I've been told, you're upset with how controlling they've been recently," Harry asked as his hand slipped from her stomach to her outer thigh.

She stilled and sighed as she considered how to explain it. "They're trying to control every aspect of my life Harry. They have some plan for me, everything from what I can wear to my future career. They don't try to talk to me about it; they just act as if..."

Harry trailed his fingers down her neck, and she sighed. "I have no control over anything. And do you know what the worst part is?"

"That many of the things they are deciding for you are things you would have chosen for yourself?" Harry softly asked.

"YES! It's so annoying. They want me to go into politics, and I have been considering that. It's why I chose to work for Malfoy. And I only got to choose that because I acted without telling them. Why do they always have to be right? And why doesn't that bother you more?!" She asked, turning to glare at him.

Harry laughed, he couldn't help it, she saw as he tried to hold it in, but it just wasn't in his power.

"Sorry, Hermione. You just caught me off guard with that one." He said sheepishly. "I know it's serious, and I know we need to find a way to make them understand they can't control everything." He added as he brushed the hair back from her face.

"But, you laughed because?" She asked as she glared at him.

"Because you have been my training wheels for dealing with them?" He said as he gave her an apologetic shrug. "The bossy control freak who is infuriatingly always right?" He asked with a grin. "And a bit distracting to look at." He added, trying to distract her himself.

"I ne-"

"During our OWLs. You made Ron and me each timetables. Honest to God colour-coded revision plans with study breaks included."

"Well, you weren't doing it yourselves!" She huffed and pouted at him but couldn't help but smile as he looked back at her. "I'm not as bad as he is. He is much more controlling.  _ He _ would have found a way to get you two to stick to those timetables!"

"As I said, you were the training wheels." Harry shifted the two of them so that Hermione has to lay back and look up at him. He hovered over her with his hands, braced next to her shoulders. "I'm not saying that what they're doing is valid; we can skip seeing Grindelwald if you want. I know that is a part of  _ their  _ plan."

Hermione sighed and shook her head. "That is my point. They are right. I need to talk to him and find out more about who I am. And their right that I would be happy in politics working to make a better place for everyone. I'm made for public service."

"I'd vote for you." Harry's smile made Hermione blush.

"I just wish they would let me get there myself." She sighed as she reached up and timidly brushed her finger over his scar. "And I want that for you too. I have a feeling they are planning your life just as much as mine."

"Diadem and I talk about what they want for me." He admitted as he allowed her just to touch him. "But they really can't just make plans for me while I am still in school. Let me rephrase that; they can't start acting upon those plans until I get of school. So I think the only control they have right now for me is talking."

"What do they want for you?" She asked curiously.

"You know I've been planning to become an Auror for a while."

"I know."

"Well, Diadem doesn't think it is a good idea."

"Cup is an Auror." She frowned as she wondered why they would try and restrict Harry.

"He says that I've been indoctrinated as a child soldier." He said, and she could tell those were Diadem's words and not Harry's. "He thinks becoming a soldier for the Ministry wouldn't be good for me, that I should spend a year pissing about. He thinks I need some time to be a normal person." Harry added without looking into her eyes.

"It isn't a bad idea. You've never been able to be a kid, Harry, and that is partly his fault."

"You could come with me?" He said as he looked back down at her. "After we graduate?"

"Did Diadem suggest that?" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"No. Diadem wants me to go with him, maybe even trade off on who is traveling with me." He grinned down at her mischievously. "But what if we tell them we need a year." He was delighted by his idea. "Hermione, you have been my backup in this war for as long as I can remember. If I'm a child soldier, then so are you. Come be a silly kid with me?"

"I got to be a kid, Harry. My life was ne-" He cut her off with a soft kiss to her lips and a shy stroke with his tongue. When she opened her mouth for him, he tasted her patiently, exploring her mouth as if it were something to be savored.

When he pulled away, he looked at her with a glowing expression that made her blush for no reason.

"We started to move against Voldemort when we were eleven. Eleven Hermione. And I know you, you were always too smart to just be a silly kid. Come with me so I can force you to be silly." He demanded playfully. 

"I'll think about it." She said as the very idea sent an odd mix of excitement and fear into her.

"Thank you," He smiled but didn't push anymore. Instead, his eyes flicked down to where his shirt covered Hermione's breasts and back into her eyes.

"I want to see more of you." He told her before he pushed himself up onto his knees. "Will you take that off for me?" He phrased it as a question, but there was something demanding in his gaze.

Hermione swallowed and nodded before she pulled at the hem of his jersey and pulled it up over her head. He didn't make a move to touch her as she tossed it aside. When she looked back at him, his eyes were locked on hers.

"What now?" She asked breathily even as her body responded to his gaze and the chill in the room.

"I never imagined you in such pretty knickers." He told her distractedly.

Hermione laughed. "Well, you can thank Ring, he burned all my white ones." She told him playfully. Harry looked as if he was seriously considering it. He looked at her like a starving man who was hesitant about taking food from a feast.

She loved him for his hesitance, but it was also quite annoying. "Harry, I want you." She told him as she timidly touched his shoulder.

"I never dreamed I would get you to myself the first time. I know I stood up to Diadem, but I always thought they would find a way to intrude. But instead, they wrapped you up in frilly knickers and gave us a weekend alone."

She laughed again as he acted as if his birthday has come early. "I realized a while back that they…" She trailed off and bit her lip thoughtfully. "It isn't what we have. But most of them care deeply for me. I don't know if I can call it love, but it is their version of that feeling. I think you have that same connection to them, maybe even deeper as you are them, at least how they count things. And Tom is nothing if not a narcissist."

It was Harry's turn to chuckle as he nodded in agreement. "But moments like these still surprise me. They're so well planned, they catch you off guard."

"Annoying know-it-alls, the lot of them." She agreed as she ran her hands down his arms. "But, I want you right now."

"I'm nervous; I'll do it wrong."

"Harry? Please?" She asked, looking up at him with doe eyes. "I want to go to this meeting today, feeling thoroughly loved."

Harry's fingers curled into the elastic of her knickers and slowly pulled them down her thighs. His eyes moved to watch between her legs as he removed the last of her clothing. Harry swallowed as he took in her soft skin and then looked back up into her eyes.

"Have you ever gotten a gift that you love so much but don't know what to do with it first?" He asked brightly.

Hermione laughed as she bit her bottom lip. "Are you comparing me to a new broom Harry Potter?" She asked with a teasing pout.

"I want you to reach up and hold onto the headboard." He motioned with his head to the wooden slats at the top of the bed. "Don't let go."

"What if I want to touch you?" Hermione asked as he followed his order.

"I might give you permission if you ask nicely." He shrugged as he took in every plain of her body newly stretched before him.

She swallowed and shifted her hips at his answer, her back arched to display herself for him as she whimpered. "Please touch me, Harry?"

"I changed my mind." He leaned down over her and finally tasted one of her breasts, his tongue moving against the hardened nipple. "You'll have to beg sweetly, just like that." He told her before nipping at her skin.

Hermione's fists tightened around the wood as Harry teased her breasts as if he planned to explore every part of her body maddeningly slowly.

"Oh." She whimpered as her body came alive with his attention. "Harry, please? I want more."

A hand moved between her thighs, and she could feel his fingers run over her wet folds as he explored her even as his teeth lightly trapped her nipple.

"I don't like…" He trailed off for a moment as she was suddenly anxious with whatever would come next. He was in the middle of touching her, and now he wanted to say how he didn't like girls after all? "...making it painful."

She let out a relieved gasp as his finger stroked her clit by accident. "That's fine, Harry, I don't always need pain to get off." She was already breathless from his teasing.

"Good." Harry sounded just as relieved as she felt. "I want to control you. Maybe bind you or pin you down. But I don't want to hurt you." He explained as he continued to play with her core. He was braced on his free hand so he could watch her face.

"But you like being hurt?" Hermione picked up on what he wasn't saying as she let herself enjoy his every touch. She wanted him inside her, but she was pretty sure he was still working up to that.

"I like the way they hurt me." He pushed his middle finger inside of her, and her body tried to grasp the digit.

"They? So you've been with more than Diadem?" She asked and then shook her head. "None of my business." She added quickly.

"Now that I know the truth, Tom has become more forward with me," Harry explained as his thumb moved over her clit on purpose. "It's weird to think about, but I  _ want _ to be with each of them. I'm excited to try."

"They're all a bit different." Hermione gasped as she had been with each at least once.

"Do you have a favorite?" Harry slowed his attention so she would look up at him.

She smiled and tried to push herself against him as she gave him a pout. "Are you going to do this to me right now?" She asked with a smirk.

"Yes. I want to hear about each of them." Harry explained. "You're the only one who would understand."

"And you think I want to talk about other guys while you tease me?" Hermione asked as she pressed her mound against his hand to get more attention.

"What if I said I'd only play with you for as long as you're talking about them?" He gave her a wicked grin as he pulled his hand away and tasted one of his fingers.

Hermione harrumphed and pouted up at him, but she could understand his curiosity, and it wasn't like she didn't find the idea sort of sexy.

"Fine." She said and blushed as he grinned down at her. "Who do you want to talk about first?" She asked as she wiggled her hips to draw his attention back to her.

"Tell me about Voldemort." He said as his eyes moved to her wiggling body, and he smiled as his hand moved back to its place between her legs. "He's just so different, hardly human." He clarified. "Have you been with him? Does he even like sex?"

Hermione flushed as she thought about her one experience with Voldemort himself. "Awhile back, I was with him and Tom together." She starters and lets her eyes close as his thumb teases her clit. "They are very similar in what they like, which is total control. They all like control, and they all like some kind of pain." She started; it was getting her all the more excited to share the moment with Harry.

"Tom likes to surprise me in the hall and fuck me in random places around the school. I think not having you around has made him more aggressive." Harry said, and Hermione nodded.

"Do you like that? Please, Harry, more than teasing, and I'll tell you something really delicious." She begged.

"Right." Harry clears his throat as he shifts on the bed. "I forgot I get to take what I want with you. I don't have to wait for permission." He explained as he slid his rock hard cock over her slick folds.

"They make you wait?" She was curious about his relationship with Diadem and Tom.

"They make me wait till I'm painfully hard and ready to burst before I can even touch myself." Harry groaned and shifted himself to press his head against her clinching body. 

Hermione held her breath as a nervous and excited flutter started low in her stomach. "Please?" She begged, desperately knowing that he liked the sound of her voice.

When he sank into her to the hilt, she let out a low whimper and worked herself against him.

"Tell me more, Hermione." He gasped as his hand settled on her stomach to try and stop her hips.

"About Voldemort?" She asked as she wanted him to start moving. The connection with him felt so different from anyone else, and she wanted more.

"You promised something delicious." He reminded her as he continued not to move.

"You know how he is so snake-like?" She asked, but she didn't need an answer. "His cock was affected too. It's so…" She blushed and clinched around Harry even as she thought about the feel of Voldemort's head on her tongue.

"That good?" Harry asked as he slowly started to pull from her and give her the friction she craved.

"It has like little spikes around the head." She explained as she opened her eyes and looked to see Harry's reaction. It was quite possible her friend would not find Voldemort's member nearly as exciting as she did. An average person wouldn't, would they?

Harry snapped his hips forward, making her gasp. He was looking down her with a hunger that made her shiver.

"And he has two of them." She blushed deeply as she held her breath and waited for his reaction.

"Two?" Harry asked as if he didn't think he heard her right.

"Two, side by side." She explained breathlessly.

"That gives me so many bad ideas." Harry breathed as he moved his hands to take hold of her hips.

"Do any of them involve me?" Hermione playfully asked as she wrapped her legs around his waist, wanting to pull him closer.

"All of them." He promised as he savored the feel of his member as it drove into her once more. "Did he like, use them both at once?" He asked, wanting to know more.

"I was riding Tom at the time." Hermione moaned. "And he let me use my mouth on them. He wouldn't let me take too much like he worried I would hurt myself. Please, Harry, faster?"

Harry complied with her request as he leaned down over her once more. "Did you want to coke on his cock Hermione?" he asked in a sweet tone that did not match his question.

"Wouldn't you?" She asked as she keened and worked herself against him.

"Merlin, yes," Harry told her without hesitation. "I'm so close, just thinking about how you would look between them," Harry admitted, and his hand moved from her hip to the little nub he had been playing with before. "Come for me, little dove." He demanded, and it sent her flying.

"Cheater!" Hermione mewed as she shook around his shaft; she felt him finish as she was still shaking in pleasure.


	15. The Greater Good

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Hermione dressed in a set of teal robes with little moon embellishments around the wrists and hem. She fixed her hair as best she could, pinning it back from her face as she had the driving need not to show the man a single flaw. On the other hand, Harry wore a beat-up set of jeans and a faded red jumper that was still slightly too large for him.

"Are you still wearing Dudley's hand me downs?" She asked as she hadn't seen him in muggle clothes in a while.

Harry shrugged as he picked at a hole while they made their way towards the castle gates. No one was allowed to Apparate within a few miles of the prison, and they were not connected to any floo networks for obvious reasons.

"They work." He defended as he had never really cared about fashion.

"You're worse than me." Hermione laughed. "If I were to go on a gap year with you, you would need new clothes." She added as they neared the gate. Before Harry could respond, a guard stepped into view on the other side.

"What is your business here?" The man asked in german, making Harry frown.

"I have permission to speak with one of your prisoners," Hermione answered carefully in the same language as she pulled the ministry paperwork from her robe to show to the man.

"Hermione Granger? Who is this?" The man asked as he looked over the pages while nodding at Harry. "This prisoner is our most dangerous."

"This is my friend; he is just here for support; he doesn't have to see the prisoner," Hermione said, hoping they wouldn't turn Harry away.

The guard nodded before he opened the gate and stepped aside for them. "Go to the main entrance up this way; someone will direct you, Miss Granger."

"Trouble?" Harry asked as they started to walk once more.

"No. But I don't think they'll let you stay with me while I visit Grindelwald."

"I'll be as close as I can." He said as he took her hand to give her as much support as possible.

As they approached the prison doors, Hermione started to feel a little sick with nerves and squeezed Harry's hand back. There was more fuss at the door, and Harry was taken to a sitting area where he could wait for Hermione to be finished with her visit.

Hermione was asked to give up her wand before entering the wing that held the prisoners, and she did so reluctantly. The closer they got to the time, she would see her grandfather the sicker she felt.

They set her up in a room with a single table and a guard standing in the corner. The man did not look friendly as she rubbed her hands on her legs and waited. She felt like she was going to puke with nervousness, and her whole body seemed to be both hot and cold.

When the door finally opened, a man as old as Dumbledore was shoved into the room. He wore gray prison clothes that looked in need of a good cleaning and repair. His hair was long and hung limp in his face, and his eyes were a pale blue.

Hermione rolled her lips into her mouth, saying nothing as Grindelwald made his way over to the seat across from her. He scrutinized her through his messy hair. It was several minutes before anyone spoke.

"How are you feeling, child?" He asked in English as he looked down his nose at her.

"Fine. You had things you wanted to tell me?" She asked as she worked to focus past her nerves. She couldn't show a man like him weakness.

"You don't look fine." He responded and seemed pleased as he looked her over again before turning to the guard and asking in German. "Doesn't she look ill?"

The guard said nothing, so Grindelwald shrugged and turned back to her, still smiling. "I would say you look as if you are on the verge of throwing up." He said as he switched back to English. 

"Why do you care?" She asked as she clasped her hands in her lap.

"Feeling sweaty but cold, and you're probably going to start getting a headache soon."

"What?" She shivered, was something more wrong with her than just nerves?

"Can you imagine the effect a curse like this has on an unborn child? Blood curses are the darkest magic; I was surprised it lived at all."

"There is a blood curse on the castle?" Hermione's stomach sank; she wondered how long she could stay before it did something worse.

"Your sickness confirms you're mine. How is my daughter?"

"Now, you care about the  _ muggle _ ?" Hermione asked as she remembered the story her mother had told her.

"The curse murdered her core as she grew in her mother's womb, did you think I wanted to risk what a curse would do for someone no stronger than a muggle?" He asked with disgust. "The center of the curse is my cell, and these morons here have no idea of its strength. No idea what it would do to anyone of my blood."

"This used to be your castle, where did the curse even come from?"

Grindelwald smiled in a way that Hermione could see how he had gained so many followers back in his time. He would have been a beautiful man if it weren't for the rags and filth.

"The darkest wizard I have even known personally helped them change this place into a prison for me and mine." He said as if this was no big deal.

"You were the darkest wizard of your time." Hermione pointed out.

The man laughed and shook his head. "Right." He agreed, but he was obviously enjoying a private joke. "I want to know about you. My daughter married another pureblood Squib from what the article said. I could not have chosen a better mate for her myself."

"Mate?" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"To make you, my dear, to fix what was broken in my bloodline. I would have preferred your father to be a pureblood or at least a wizard, but who else would want to marry one Squib but another? Not that she is  _ really _ a Squib."

"My parents are happy." She told him even though she hardly thought he cared.

"Good. But you? Brightest witch at school? Powerful friends? They've let me have a few articles about your exploits."

"You're talking about the article with Krum?"

"And Potter?"

"Harry is a friend." She blushed as she tried not to think about what she had done with that  _ friend _ that morning. "Your letter said you wanted to tell me what they did to our family. You're talking about the blood curse, why not tell me who it was?"

"Only if you tell me who gave you the necklace." The man was observant and bright, even after years of dealing with a sickening curse without relief.

Hermione's hand went to the crystal dove she continued to wear.

"I found it in a shop, why does it matter?"

"Lie. Even I can taste the dark magic on it. It was someone powerful. Do you have your own dark wizard? How like your grandfather you are. Will yours turn on you the moment he realizes he can play the hero?"

"It isn't like any of that." She said firmly as she dropped the chain.

"Tell me who your lover is, and I'll tell you mine." Grindelwald tempted.

"Why am I here?" Hermione pressed as she considered leaving. Did he bring her here to tell her about the curse that had hurt her mother? A curse that he had to live with every day, but why did that matter?

"I wanted to see you and see for myself if my granddaughter was worthy of my legacy."

"I want nothing to do with your legacy." She said and got to her feet, though her legs felt shaky.

"I know we can't have the same lover; you're just not his type."

"Why are you obsessed with who I'm sleeping with?" She snapped as she slammed her hands on the table.

"Because I am informed enough to know already who you are sleeping with, and I want you to say it."

"No one speaks his name." She said as her eyes flicked to the guard. She was pretty sure he didn't speak English, but if she were to call Voldemort by name, it would translate well enough.

"Exactly what I thought, and I approve of the powerful addition to my family." Grindelwald seemed pleased. "But that only means you need to watch out for my ex all the more. He knows who and what you are; he will stop at nothing to bring you here for good. Anyone of my bloodline he will see as a threat, even if he doesn't know about your lover."

Hermione swallowed. "You mean..." She already knew to watch for Dumbledore. "He isn't a dark wizard. He defeated you."

"Hermione, don't let someone's reputation get in the way of seeing who they are. Don't trust him; he will do  _ anything _ to bring about the world he desires."

"I don't trust him. I left school because of him! Did he really do  _ this _ magic?" She asked as she was stunned anew by the evil Dumbledore was capable of.

Grindelwald just smiled at her and sat back in his chair. "Now, you understand. Come see me again soon, maybe with some new protection on that necklace of yours."

By the time Hermione made it to where Harry had waited, she felt like she couldn't stay on her feet. The further from her grandfather, she got the lighter the weight pressing on her insides, but it wasn't quite enough relief.

"I want to go home." She whispered as she trembled in Harry's arms.

He helped her back to the inn where they were staying and held her as her body and magical core recovered from the stress of the black magic. By the time three came, Hermione was feeling more emotionally drained than physically. They landed in Voldemort's sitting room, and Hermione moved right back against her friend as he hadn't even tried to stay on her feet.

"What is wrong with her?" Voldemort asked a moment later.

"She said the castle had a blood curse on it. I didn't understand, but she was sick for a few hours."

"Little dove?" Voldemort made her look into his eyes; he looked down at her as he tried to understand the extent of the damage. "Did you harm yourself? How long did she stay?"

"I'm fine." Hermione took in a shaking breath and swallowed. "I just need some medicine." She said as she looked meaningfully at Voldemort.

"Do we know who cast the blood curse?" Voldemort asked as his first reaction was always seeking revenge.

"I don't want to talk about it; I don't want to think." Hermione looked at Voldemort and then at Harry. "Can we just not think for a little while?" She asked them meekly.

"Yeah." Harry agreed and looked at the man he had been curious about before. "What medicine does she need?" He asked as he continued to hold her.

"A potion to help," Voldemort said though he did not reveal what it did for Hermione. He went to a cabinet and withdrew a familiar vile while her friend helped her to her feet.

Hermione took the potion and let out a slow breath as the wash of worry for what she wanted to do to the man who hurt her family. The ideas that sprang into her mind no longer caused her guilt, but she wanted a distraction first.

She looked at the men in the room and then purposely lowered herself to her knees. She looked up at Harry first and then met Voldemort's hungry gaze.

"I've missed you. Please will you think for me, for a little while?" She begged him. She knew it was selfish, but with the potion running in her veins, she didn't care.

Voldemort reached down and pulled a pin from her hair. "Of course, my little dove, no need to think just now." He agreed, sounding more than pleased to give her exactly what she wanted.

"Would you like to join us, Harry?" The man asked politely, but anyone would be able to hear his desire for her friend. "Would you strip Miss Granger for me?"

Harry visibly swallowed before he nodded and knelt so that he could start to unbutton Hermione's robes as he looked into her eyes. She wondered if he would kiss her, but she wasn't in the right mindset to make the first move. She had pushed herself to the limit asking for Voldemort's time; the rest would be up to them.

Harry must have seen something in her eyes as he leaned in and took her lips in a soft kiss while he undid her clothes. She surrendered to him and let herself drown in the taste of him. After he pushed the robe off her shoulders, Harry stood and helped Hermione maneuver out of them before moving around her. Harry kissed her neck as he undid her bra and let that drop to the floor as well.

"The two of you make such a pretty pair," Voldemort said, and Hermione looked up at him with hooded eyes. "Little dove, I want you to undress Harry now."

Hermione nodded, standing before she turned to her friend. She still wore her knickers, but she guessed that Voldemort enjoyed the view of the lacy green knickers on her tanned skin.

Harry bit his lip as she pulled his jumper off him, and her hands moved to the zipper of his jeans. She rubbed her hand over his quite apparent bulge before pulling his jeans around his ankles and kneeling to help him out.

She glanced back at Voldemort after that and noticed that he had made himself comfortable in a nearby chair. His robes hung open, and his cocks showed at half-mast. Looking up the length of Harry's body, she saw that his eyes were locked on the other man.

"I told you." She said as she stood up and helped him remove his undershirt.

Harry's hands skimmed over her body as she tossed his shirt aside and turned her around, so she had to face Voldemort once more.

"I want to see what your cock looks like in her mouth." Harry requested, even as his fingers played over her hips.

"I think she would be eager to show you." Voldemort smiled. "Would you like to taste me again, little dove?"

Hermione nodded her agreement eagerly and lowered herself again to the floor so she could crawl over to him. She did not hesitate a moment as she neared him and ran her tongue along the underside of first one shaft than the other.

"Pick one Hermione, no reason to be greedy." The Dark Lord smirked down at her as his hand pulled another pin from her hair.

Hermione moaned as she shifted to one side of him and ran her tongue just around where the little spikes protruded from the head. She nipped at one, curious how it felt for him. Voldemort watched her with a pleased smirk but said nothing to direct her. Both members hardened as she gave the one more attention.

She startled a little as Harry rested a hand on the small of her back and knelt beside her. "Does that taste good?" He asked as he looked from her face to the cock she was licking.

"Want a taste?" She asked before licking a pearl of precum from Voldemort's tip and turned to kiss her friend.

The hand on her back tightened on her side as he eagerly took what she offered. She purred into the kiss until she heard Voldemort hiss. They both looked up at him, and he grinned down at the pair pleased.

"You may please the other if you wish Harry." The Dark Lord offered, and Harry looked at the man's length as his cheeks colored just a bit. "Show him what I like, little dove."

Hermione leaned back in to take the head of Voldemort's length in her mouth. She lapped her tongue against him and sucked happily as she wiggled her hips just a little to stimulate herself.

"Spread your legs, brat; no one said you could have any of that."

Hermione whimpered around him but obediently spread her thighs as she tempted him by lowering herself past the spikes around the head. This time he did not stop her from taking as much as she liked into her mouth. His hand even settled comfortably in Hermione's hair.

"Our Hermione has many talents, don't you think Harry?" He asked, and she was pleased by his praise. "Let us see how good she is with more than one task at a time." He commented, and she would feel someone's hand guide hers to Harry's hardened length.

Hermione moaned around Voldemort as she ran her fist over her friend. She could see him mimicking her on the other member and feel him close enough to kiss if their lips weren't otherwise occupied.

Once she had a steady rhythm on Harry's shaft, she felt his hand on her thigh, and her core eagerly clinched.

"No, Harry." Voldemort admonished. "She doesn't need any of that; all she needs to focus on is the pleasure she can give us."

Hermione whimpered and mewed around his length but did not fail in her drive to please them. If it were all, she was allowed Hermione would give them both everything she wanted for herself.

"Well, isn't this quite a picture." A new voice said from the doorway, but Hermione was too eager to please to worry as Diary made his way into the study.

"Would you care to join us?" Voldemort asked, and Hermione was proud to hear the contentment in his voice. Her quim squeezed around the air, and she wondered if Diary, of all of them, would be the one to bring her some relief.

"I have been eager to try him."

Harry stilled next to her, but Hermione focused on ignoring the conversation around her and continued to give both him and Voldemort the pleasure they deserved.

"That is up to him, Hermione is the only one who has given herself fully tonight, isn't that right, my pet?" Voldemort asked as he pulled her from his cock. The barbs scraped against the roof of her mouth, flavoring her tongue with the tang of metal.

"Yes, Master." She agreed as she licked her lips and looked up at him.

"I don't want her right now," Diary said dryly as he stalked towards them. "I can have the slut whenever I like, can't I Hermione?" He asked, and she looked back at him.

"Yes." She agreed and licked her lips even as he snuggled against Voldemort's hand.

"Yes, what, little slut?" The younger one pressed relentlessly.

"Yes, God." She said, still feeling as if it sounded awkward, more like an expletive than a name.

Harry was watching the interaction closely and tilted his head at Hermione as if he was asking permission. She shrugged her shoulders in answer, it was up to him, but it did seem that the cold Horcrux liked her friend better than her.

"Let me make you come, pretty boy." Diary cooed as he played with Harry's messy hair.

"O-okay." Harry agreed as he looked up at the other Horcrux.

Voldemort cleared his throat, bringing everyone's attention back to him. Harry and Hermione moved in together to take him into their mouths once again as she could feel Diary messing with his clothes behind Harry.

She focused on pleasing the shaft in her mouth as she lost the job of fisting Harry's cock. She moaned and whimpered when Voldemort wouldn't let her force him down her throat. She wanted to gag on him, to have something for herself.

"So eager, but this is far enough for today, my sweet." He pulled her back off of him once more. "If you drink down my seed, then we will let the boy finish inside of you." He promised as he pet her cheek.

"But only if he doesn't finish first." Dairy pointed out.

Hermione whimpered and moved to brace herself on Voldemort's thigh so that she could more directly pleasure him. Her hand came up, and she massaged his testicles even as Harry and she worked over his cocks with tongues and mouths.

Harry moaned around the Dark Lord's length, and she could hear Diary purring encouragement to him. The way her friend responded next to her seemed like he enjoyed whatever the other Horcrux was doing to him.

She wondered if Diary was purposefully working on trying and getting Harry off first so that she would be left unsatisfied. She whimpered around Voldemort as she wanted so much for him to climax so that she could feel Harry inside of her. She didn't care what else she had to do to make that happen.

"Hold on; he's almost there," Diary confirmed her suspicion, and she again pressed herself around Voldemort's cock hard enough to make her gag, even as Voldemort worked to hold her back from hurting herself.

"Careful, my pets." Voldemort moaned as his fingers tightened in Hermione's air.

"Come for me, pretty boy, and I'll let you help me train the whore to only get off on pain." Diary coaxed, but the offer only made Harry whimper.

As she tasted the Dark Lord's seed, she let out a gasp of relief almost ready to climax from the joy it brought her. She milked his cock with her whole mouth, and even once he was done, she happily lapped at his length.

"The girl is eager to be rutted it seems, Harry, would you be so kind?" Voldemort teased. "We wouldn't want to interrupt her fun.

There was shifting next to her, and soon Harry's chest was pressed against her back. "Good girl," He whispered in her ear as his hand simply pulled her knickers out of his way. He filled her with one thirst and let out a low groan. "Not going to last long, Hermione," Harry warned as he started a restrained rhythm inside of her.

She keened, her brain far past real words, and continued to lap Voldemort's cocks, and she finally got some relief for her aching core. The Dark Lord ran his hands against her scalp lazily as Harry held her hips in a bruising grip.

Her toes curled as she felt him pulse inside of her and crested as Harry came. It was all she needed to start jerking with her climax. Hermione rubbed her face against Voldemort's cocks as she basked in the wash of paradise.

She smiled up at Voldemort with a sleepy smile. "Thank you." She purred before letting her eyes close and drifting off with her face snuggled against the Dark Lord's lap and before Harry had even removed himself from her.


	16. NEWTs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

The following few months of Hermione's life quickly settled into a contented rhythm. She worked for Lucius during the week. Few nights spent learning from Voldemort and others learning from Diary. With the agreed-upon price paid for each lesson.

Tom and Harry took turns coming on the weekend. Hermione got attention, praise, and pleasure whenever she desired, but when it became too much, and she could retreat to her room where no one would bother her.

For the most part, Hermione was surprisingly happy under Voldemort's care, and she found that when she made her needs clear to the group, they would be respected. She found the men in her life stimulating in mind and body, and even though most of her lovers could not express love in a traditional way, she could feel their care in nearly everything they did.

Too soon, it was time to return to the school to attend her NEWTs. Lucius diligently filed all the proper paperwork and arranged for her to stay at the school for testing. Initially, they consider Hogsmeade to be the better option, but the Headmaster insisted testees should not leave school grounds.

No one, including Hermione, liked her being confined with the Dumbledore, but his logic was reasonable. They just had to count on the fact that she had backup at the school if the Headmaster tried anything nefarious.

Hermione put off going till the last possible moment and had to have her trunks sent up to the Head girl's room so that she could go straight into her first NEWT. After the written Potions exam, Hermione breathed a bit easier.

"How do you think you did?" She asked as she took Harry's hand and rested her head on his shoulder. They touched without thinking, so comfortable with each other; it was natural to walk down the wall snuggled together.

"It felt better than a lesson with Snape." Harry laughed as he squeezed her hand. "What do you have next?" He asked casually. "I don't have another till after lunch." He pointed out innocently as he probed to see if they had enough time to enjoy each other in an abandoned classroom.

"Right to Arithmancy for me, I'm afraid." She said with a sigh.

"Maybe later." Harry sighed as well.

"Well, isn't this just sweet." Ron snacked.

Hermione felt Harry go very still next to her, and she looked over her shoulder to find their old friend glaring at both of them. She shifted to move away from Harry and give him some space, but he only pulled her closer, though he turned his body to keep himself in front.

Harry hadn't mentioned Ron in a while, and she had always assumed it was to save her feelings. As she saw how the redhead sneered at him, she realized that Harry had paid dearly to stay friends with her. She bit her lip to keep in the wave of emotion that threatened to come up with the hardness she saw in Ron's eyes.

"This isn't any of your business anymore, Weasley," Harry said bitterly, and Hermione squeezed his hand as she mourned the death of his friendship with Ron.

"Of course not, blood traitor that I am can't possibly understand what you guys are into." He said, and his new friends chuckled behind me.

"For Merlin's sake, I'm not a bloodpurist, Ronald Weasley." Hermione snapped as she stepped in front of Harry. "And this is Harry Potter! Are you really trying to say either of us cares about any of that?!"

"It is no use, Hermione," Harry told her softly as Ron eyed them. "You need to get to your next test." He added as he tugged her away. It seemed their old friend wasn't much more than talk, at least in such a public place. "Let me walk you."

Once they were out of earshot and squeezed his hand hard and frowned up at him. "Why didn't you tell me how bad it's gotten?"

"Didn't want to worry, you. It is just stupid kid stuff. Dumbledore says I need to distance myself from you, but we both know that isn't happening."

"Are you still meeting with him in private?" Hermione stopped in her tracks; she hadn't thought about what Harry's life would be like without her. "Has he done anything?"

"We're searching for Horcruxes together." He whispered. "He's made me promise not to tell you about any of that  _ just in case _ ."

She shook her head as she didn't like Harry putting himself at risk like that, but she guessed it was better than him cutting ties and warning Dumbledore of where his loyalties lie. He had to walk a fine line to stay friends with her, pretending to be unaware of to who she was connected.

"Meet you here, after?" He asked as he paused just down the hall from her classroom. They could both see Tom leaning against the wall pretending not to see them.

Hermione moved up onto her toes to kiss his cheek. "Of course. We can go get lunch together." She promised before turning to head into the classroom. Tom followed close enough behind her that she could feel his breath on her neck.

"This time, I'm going to beat you." She said and grinned back at him.

"We'll see." He answered with a crocky smirk. They took seats near each other, Tom purposefully putting himself between her and the door as Hermione rolled her eyes.

Only once most of the students had already taken seats did the wizard administering the test, enter the room. Their hands were full of scrolls and quills, and even though Hermione had never met the wizard before, there was something familiar about the way he tripped over a chair leg and barely stopped everything from going flying.

Hermione felt on edge suddenly, and she glanced over at Tom, who seemed entirely at ease.

"Wands away." The man called, but Hermione allowed hers to drop into her hand as she gave Tom a significant look. He only shifted slightly at his desk, but she was sure he had caught her message.

As the wizard started to hand out the tests, the door swung open, allowing a pair of Aurors to step in. Hermione knew Kingsley from the Order meetings, but she didn't recognize the man next to him.

"Hermione Jean Granger, you are coming with us." He announced, but before she could respond, Tom was on his feet.

"We are in the middle of a test." He glared at the intruder.

"Mr. Black, you can join us if you are so eager. Miss Granger is being arrested as a suspected Death Eater."

"What?!" Hermione got to her feet, her wand firmly in her hand.

"Miss Granger, don't make a scene, it will be better for you if you come quietly." The man said with a hard tone in his voice. They had waited until she was surrounded by students, betting she wouldn't put anyone in danger And she was supposed to be the Death Eater? This was also a class she didn't share with Harry, which meant they could avoid his involvement.

She could see Tom tense; he didn't care about any damage caused to anyone in the room but her. She laid her free hand on his shoulder, and she could see the way the Aurors took in their postures. The Aurors. Hermione turned and realized the tester was moving in on them from the side.

"Tonks." She said and quickly realized they had the two of them cornered. She pointed her wand at the woman she had once called a friend. Hermione took in their full situation and lowered her wand once more. "I'll go peacefully."

"What?" Tom hissed and shook his head. "You're not taking her!"

"Too many bystanders." She told him firmly as she squeezed his shoulder.

"Smart Hermione, we knew you would see reason. Now set down your wand and come with us." Kingsley spoke in an even voice.

"I'll come with you, but I won't go without defense." She said as she held her wand tight then motioned with her free hand. "Lead the way."

The man's expression didn't change, but she could see him assessing the situation and taking in what Tom looked ready to do to them all and gave a firm nod. He probably thought it would be easier to take them down without the students now that they had them cornered.

Tom and she kept their backs to each other as the Auror's herded them from the room and down towards the Entrance Hall. They didn't talk knowing that their enemies would overhear anything they said, but Hermione couldn't help but think of how pissed Harry was going to be that he missed all the excitement. She was never going to be allowed to finish her education.

As they entered the open space, they found Dumbledore himself baring the front door and looking grimmer than she had ever seen him before. Her jaw worked, and her stomach lurched as his eyes landed on her.

Hermione's ability with dueling had only grown over the last few months under Diary's cruel tutelage, but she had no delusions that she was a match for the Headmaster of Hogwarts.

"Professor, you need to stand aside, we are taking these two in for questioning," Kingsley said, but there was a strange note in his voice, and Hermione didn't think he had nearly the conviction he had when speaking to her. It was part of some plan, and Kingsley was acting.

"I'm sorry, Kingsley, but this is for the best," Dumbledore said before stunning all three Aurors a moment later.

"Shit. He might just kill us." She breathed as she looked around for an exit.

"I am sorry, Miss Granger, that it had to be this way. I had hoped you would never learn your true identity and be tempted by the darkness in your soul." He spoke regretfully, but Hermione was still looking for the best exit when Tom pushed her to the ground.

He fell on top of her as a massive wave swept over them. She was looking into his dark eyes when he just grinned down at her, a spot of blood dripped from his nose.

"Well, that wasn't pleasant." He told her dryly before he pulled her close and rolled them out of the way of another spell.

"What did you do?!"

"Not sure yet. We need to get to the Compound." He told her in a pinched voice. "Could use some calvary." He added as he pushed himself into a crotch so she could get up. They ducked behind the main staircase, and Hermione knew Dumbeldore was talking, but she didn't care enough about his self-righteous rant to pay him any mind.

"Hermione, this will be for the best. Just give yours-" An explosion cut off his words, and she risked a look to find the Great Hall doors had been blasted off the hinges. Diadem stood in the doorway with eyes full of fury.

"Shut up, you Pompous Blowhard!" He growled as if he had been waiting all year to say the words. It struck her funny that he would dare to call anything pompous. "You don't get to decide what is right."

"Hermione?" A whisper came from a small door to her left, but she didn't see anything until Harry pulled his cloak off his head. "Guess we're not taking out NEWTs after all. You coming?" He grinned and motioned towards a set of brooms.

"I don't think Tom can hold on."

"I'll take care of him." Harry agreed as he helped the boy over to his broom and positioned so he could hold him on.

Hermione swallowed as he looked at the free broom. She had never really gotten used to them, and she dreaded having to fly one away from a fight. But what choice did she have? Hermione mounted the broom and held on with all her might.

"Just keep your head down and follow me as close as you can," Harry advised, and Hermione nodded.

When they flew out from the corner they had been hiding in Diadem and Dumbeldore were fully dueling each other, but Hermione had no time to worry about the Horcrux, she needed to get Tom to someone who could tell what had hit him, and she trusted the man to be able to take care of himself.

They flew for the front gates, they couldn't just fly over the wall with the castle's wards in full effect, she thought maybe Harry had planned to land near the gates and run for it, only more Aurors blocked the way.

"Hermione, just follow me close!" Harry called again as he drove for the gate, planning to fly right out the archway.

Hermione whimpered as she worked to keep just behind him, she held her breath as he only picked up speed, and soon the wizards were diving out of their way. Once outside of Hogwarts grounds, Harry led them back up into the sky. He didn't seem keen to land anywhere near the castle.

It felt like hours before Harry found a spot in the mountains to land. The moment they were down, Hermione made Tom look at her. He had blood on his teeth and a bit at his ears. "Some kind of mind magic." She said as she took in his symptoms. "What were you thinking?" She snapped again, and Tom looked delighted by her reaction.

"That I have just earned every single act of fellatio you will ever bestow upon me or mine." He told her, seeming very pleased with himself.

"You won't get any of that if this curse kills you. You'll have completely fragged time." She whimpered, and he just shook his head. "He doesn't have the guts for all-out murder. I am just very fond of your mind. I've worked so hard to get it this way." He sounded drunk, the longer he spoke.

"Right, and you don't care anything for your own?"

"Easier to fix myself than you." He cleared his throat and tried to stand on his own, only to stumble.

"We need to get him to the Compound," Hermione said, unsure if she could Apparate and hold him up at the same time.

"I'll do it." Harry took her burden, his taller frame helpful in supporting their friend.

"Go first; I'll be right behind. Voldemort will know what to do." She said as she glanced around them. She didn't want to risk them just in case someone had followed.

Harry hesitated for only a moment before he nodded firmly, and the two of them disappeared. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief and just let herself take a moment. When she heard a stick crack in the nearby woods, she too Disapparated.

To be safe, she didn't head right home but went to the gates of Malfoy Manor first. They allowed her in without an issue, and she took off up the path towards the house. She would Apparate from her room at the Manor to the Compound without a soul being able to track her. They could later search for her, and Lucius could honestly allow them to look without giving anything away.

Hermione ran directly to her destination without a word for House elf or Master of the house, and it still felt like it took hours. What if she got to the Compound, and none of them had survived? What if Harry changed without a piece of Voldemort's soul inside of him?

As she appeared at the Compound Diadem Apparated in front of her a moment later. "Oh." She gasped and threw her arms around him. If Diadem was safe, then there was still time for Tom. "He hit Tom."

"I know, they have him down in the Primary's lab." He answered and took her hand so they could head directly there.

Voldemort was already brewing, and Harry was actually helping with prepping ingredients when they arrived.

"How is he, do we know what hit him?" She asked as she moved directly towards a man she used to fear. She wasn't ready to live a life where he didn't exist.

"A mind unraveling curse," Voldemort answered without looking up from his work.

"What can I do?" Hermione asked, wanting to keep busy.

"Keep him focused; the more focused he stays, the less he will lose."

"I'll do that, Harry, you help Hermione," Diadem ordered, and soon Harry stood on Tom's other side. "This has to be why…" He trailed off and hissed. "I'm going to kill him."

"Tom?" Hermione was interested in everything going on, but it seemed much more essential to keep Tom with them for as long as possible.

"I'm losing my mind for you." He said, but his smile looked like that of a shark. "No way either of you would dare to leave me now." He said as he reached up and patted her and Harry's cheeks. "You're mine, just like I always told you."

"That is right, Tom. We're yours." Harry agreed as he placed a hand over Toms. "But we need you to stay with us, so we don't lose you."

"Not even a bit worried, Pretty Boy," Tom said arrogantly. "Not one, but two of me are working on the cure. I'll be fine."

"You are impossible."

"I completely agree. Think of how impossible we all are?" He asked happily. Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head as he looked up at the two of them with his deadly grin. She didn't know how long they stood like that, before the Dark Lord came towards the small group.

"He needs to drink this." Voldemort handed her a vile that was nearly hot enough to burn her hand. "Now."

Even as her skin redded, Hermione poured the liquid down Tom's throat. He swallowed without complaint, always willing to take a bit of pain if it meant he got to live a little longer. The moment he swallowed, he pulled her down into a searing kiss and bit her tongue hard enough to bleed.

"Needed just a little something to remember you by."

"Where do you think you're going?" She asked as she let her head rest against his.

"They are about to say I have to go back now. We've all been wondering why I couldn't remember everything, Hermione. This is why. My holiday is over."

As she was speaking with him, she noted that Diadem drew Harry away. To keep time as it should be, Tom couldn't have any more reminders of him.

"I think I'm going to miss you." She admitted softly.

"Not at all, Hermione, I'm right behind you." He said with a grin, and she looked up to see Voldemort still looming. He was the same person, but so changed by time.

"I'm the one who is going to have to wait."

"I'm sorry, but are you well enough to travel?"

"I've been keeping it perfect in my mind. It is the last thing I would forget." He promised. "You already know it turns out fine. Kiss him for me, so it is the last thing I see of this time?" He asked instead of commanding her.

Hermione nodded and stepped back into Voldemort's arms. She closed her eyes and turned her head up. The older man took her lips in a demanding way, claiming her for every version of himself. He held her close and didn't allow her space until she became light-headed with the lack of air.

By the time Hermione looked back at the table, Tom was gone.

"Still so much to do." The Dark Lord sighed. "So much left to accomplish."

"Right." Hermione swallowed the lump in her throat. "Time to get to work."


End file.
